The organisation that runs the 18th century World Heritage Site of New Lanark is to receive a major cash boost as part of a £6.4 million investment scheme to regenerate towns.

New Lanark Trust, which runs the historic working village that is a major tourist attraction on the banks of the Clyde in South Lanarkshire, has been earmarked for £1.54 million to carry out improvements.

Others to receive money from Historic Scotland include Tranent in East Lothian, Strathaven in South Lanarkshire, Fraserburgh on the Aberdeenshire coast and Millport in the Firth of Clyde.

The money was awarded in round six of the funding initiative, which has seen over £33 million invested by the Scottish Government Agency since 2007, to the benefit of more than 50 projects across the country.

New Lanark in South Lanarkshire, Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire and Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute will also receive funding.

Previous recipients have used the money to restore their town centres and high streets, brought vacant or at-risk buildings back into reuse, helped out homeowners with small grants schemes, and provided training opportunities in traditional skills and education programmes.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "The Scottish Government is committed to investing in regeneration projects across the country and enabling people to improve their local area and look after their heritage, which is one of the priorities of the Historic Environment Strategy for Scotland: Our Place in Time.

"Funding from the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (Cars) often acts as a catalyst for additional investment in a town or project from additional funders.

"I look forward to hearing the impact the scheme has on all of today's recipients in the coming months and years."

Jane Ryder, the newly appointed chair of Historic Environment Scotland, said: "In 2014 a ten-year strategy for Scotland's historic environment was created, with one of its founding ideas being that the historic environment is owned by the people of Scotland, and not by the Government, so we should do everything in our power to enable the people to look after this environment.

"Another key objective of the strategy was to put the conditions in place which allow our heritage to make as strong a contribution as possible to the cultural, social, environmental and economic value of Scotland.

"The Cars scheme helps to achieve both of these objectives and will play a significant role in moving towards the vision outlined in the strategy."