ML postcode district map, Motherwell
Supplier statuses last checked .
The ML postcode area covers 12 districts and 9,884 live postcodes, from ML1 to ML12. It is centred on Motherwell and also covers Hamilton, Airdrie, Lanark, Larkhall and Coatbridge.
Districts here average 824 postcodes.
Where the ML districts sit
Where ML sits
It is administratively fragmented, reaching into North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway and 0 other authorities.
Every ML postcode is in Scotland. Water there is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and Temporary Use Bans under the Water Industry Act 1991 do not apply in Scotland at all.
Water supply across ML
All 12 ML districts are supplied by Scottish Water. That makes ML simple in a way many areas are not: one company, one set of rules, one status to check.
We are re-checking Scottish Water's status. It was last confirmed on 17 August 2026 as no restrictions, and until it is confirmed again this page does not assert a current position for it.
The shape of the ML area
ML1 is the largest district with 1,440 postcodes around Motherwell, and ML12 the smallest with 351. The area divides into 51 postcode sectors.
District by district: ML1 serves Motherwell, ML2 serves Wishaw, ML3 serves Hamilton, ML4 serves Bellshill, ML5 serves Coatbridge, ML6 serves Airdrie, ML7 serves Whitburn, ML8 serves Carluke, ML9 serves Larkhall, ML10 serves Larkhall, ML11 serves Lanark and ML12 serves Biggar.
Several districts share a settlement, which is a common source of confusion when a form rejects an address: ML9 and ML10 all point at Larkhall.
What borders ML
ML sits next to G (Glasgow) to the north west, EH (Edinburgh) to the east, FK (Falkirk) to the north, KA (Kilmarnock) to the west and DG (Dumfries) to the south.
Its neighbours run in 5 different directions, so ML is landlocked by other postcode areas on most sides.
ML districts, settlements and water supply
| District | Principal settlement | Water company | Hosepipe ban status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ML1 | Motherwell | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML2 | Wishaw | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML3 | Hamilton | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML4 | Bellshill | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML5 | Coatbridge | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML6 | Airdrie | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML7 | Whitburn | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML8 | Carluke | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML9 | Larkhall | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML10 | Larkhall | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML11 | Lanark | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
| ML12 | Biggar | Scottish Water | Check with your supplier |
Principal settlement is the town or city each district sits in or nearest to, derived from OS Open Names. It is not the Royal Mail post town, which is licensed data and not published openly. Status is resolved live from each company’s own notice.
Water hardness in ML
No water company covering ML publishes hardness figures as open data. The gap is named per district below so you know who to ask.
| District | Hardness | As published | Supply zone | Published by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ML1 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML2 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML3 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML4 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML5 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML6 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML7 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML8 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML9 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML10 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML11 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
| ML12 | Not published by Scottish Water. Check with your supplier. | |||
Hardness is published per census area, not per postcode, so these figures characterise a district rather than measuring one address. They are a scale and taste matter, not a safety one. Hardness data version wessex-water@2022-2025+yorkshire-water@2026.
Download the ML data
No signup, no email wall. GeoJSON carries the district points, the supplier and the live status, so it can be dropped straight into a map.
District positions are averaged postcode centroids from OS Code-Point Open. They show roughly where a district sits, not where its boundary runs, and are not legal boundaries.
Frequently asked questions
How many postcode districts are in the ML area?
There are 12 ML postcode districts, running from ML1 to ML12, and they contain 9,884 live postcodes across 51 sectors.
What towns does the ML postcode area cover?
ML covers Motherwell, Hamilton, Airdrie, Lanark, Larkhall and Coatbridge. The area takes its name from Motherwell, and each district is listed with its settlement in the table on this page.
Which water company supplies ML postcodes?
Scottish Water supplies all 12 ML districts. Supply boundaries follow the pipe network rather than postcode geography, so confirm against your water bill if you are near the edge of the area.
Why do ML9 and ML10 both say Larkhall?
ML9 and ML10 all serve Larkhall, covering different parts of it. A single town routinely needs more than one postcode district once it passes a few thousand delivery points, so this is normal rather than an error in an address.
Can I download a free ML postcode map?
Yes. This page offers the ML districts as GeoJSON, CSV and SVG, free and with no signup or email address required. The GeoJSON carries each district's position, its water company and its current restriction status, so it can be dropped straight into a mapping tool.
Which councils cover the ML postcode area?
ML reaches into North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. A postcode area is not a council area: they were drawn for different purposes and a single district can sit across a council boundary, so your postcode does not tell you which authority you pay.
How many postcode sectors are in ML?
ML contains 51 postcode sectors across its 12 districts. A sector is the district plus the first digit of the second half of the postcode, and it is the level a delivery round is actually planned around.