Plains, North Lanarkshire

Plains () 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). As global points of reference, San Fransisco and Tashkent are by Google Map, almost equidistant at 5030 miles due west and 5400 miles south east respectively.

Etymology

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, east towards The Quarry across the cattle fields. It is not...
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