Newmains is a small village and former mining community on the eastern edge of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, some south-east of Glasgow. Although it is considered by the local authority to be a "town centre" in its own right, it is often considered to be a part of Wishaw for administrative purposes.
The village is no longer home to any industry. However, it was initially built by Lord Belhaven in the 19th century to house the workers of his nearby Coltness Ironworks. Built as a "dry" town, his clean-cut, sober workers were known as some of the most productive in the Glasgow Iron and Steel Company. The Coltness works survived until very recently as a railway sleeper manufacturing facility for Tarmac, but were demolished in 2004. The village has a bus depot of the McKindless Group, and an open-castcoal mine is located at nearby Morningside.
Shopping
In December 2007, a new ASDA superstore opened in the village. This is the first major supermarket chain to open a store in the village, although for many years the area has been served by SPAR and Scotmid. The main shopping area, Manse Road, has been in decline for many years, as residents prefer to shop in nearby Wishaw or Motherwell. It is now home to only a few local merchants and food establishments.
Transport
Buses are the only form of public transport in Newmains. These services are provided by First Glasgow and McKindless, and provide links to Wishaw, Motherwell, Hamilton, Blantyre and Glasgow. The town is located on the junction of the A71 and the A73, which provide road links to most parts of Scotland. The Coltness branch from the West Coast Main Line at Garriongill terminates near the village, but is used only for the transport of coal from the nearby open cast mining facility.
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