Plains, North Lanarkshire
| Plains | |
|---|---|
 Plains
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| Plains shown within North Lanarkshire | |
| Population | 2,696 |
| OS grid reference | NS798699 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | AIRDRIE |
| Postcode district | ML6 |
| Dialling code | 01236 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Plains /ˈpleɪnz/ is a village outside the town of Airdrie, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about 14 miles east of Glasgow city centre and 32 miles west of Edinburgh. The nearest major towns are Airdrie (2.5 miles) and Coatbridge (5 miles).
The origin of the name "Plains" is unknown. One suggestion is that the name derives (via the plural of Plain) from the view afforded to the Cistercian Monks of Newbattle Abbey as they travelled to what is now the site of the village. These monks farmed the wider area for grain in what became known as Monklands. But the geography of the area runs contrary to this idea. Alternatively, the name may be a contraction of "The Plains of Waterloo" - a name given by a returning soldier from the Napoleonic wars. Either way, it is not uncommon for locals to refer to the village as "The Plains".
Somewhat mistakenly, locals (and predominantly Standard Grade Spanish students), have referred to the village as Las Vegas; however, this is an incorrect translation of the Spanish, in which the literal translation of the Nevada gambling town is The Meadows. For those who grew up in the new housing (to the North) of the late 1960s, this alternative translation would have equal merit looking from Craiglea Terrace, west towards The Quarry across the cattle fields. It is not clear, however, which of these two settlements was established first. Locals do concede, however, that within the two, gambling is probably more difficult in the village after the Ladbrokes bookies was closed some time in the 1990s.
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