The Scotsman

{{Infobox newspaper

| name = The Scotsman

| logo =

| image = The-Scotsman-cover-9-May-2011.jpg

| caption = The Scotsman cover (11 May 2011)

| alt =

| type = Daily newspaper

| format = Compact

| foundation = 1817

| political = None{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpimedia.co.uk/readers-charter/|title = Readers Charter – JPIMedia Ltd}}

| owners = National World

| sister newspapers = Edinburgh Evening News
Scotland on Sunday

| headquarters = Edinburgh, Scotland

| editor = Alan Young{{cite news|url=https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2024/news/deputy-editor-steps-up-to-top-job-at-cuts-hit-title/|title=Deputy Editor Steps Up to Top Job at Cuts-Hit Title|date=22 August 2024|work=Hold The Front Page|access-date=2 September 2024}}

| circulation = 6,698

| circulation_date = 2024

| circulation_ref = {{cite web|url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product/686 |title=The Scotsman |publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK) |date=26 February 2024 |access-date=2 March 2024}}

| ISSN = 0307-5850

| oclc = 614655655

| website = {{URL|https://www.scotsman.com}}

}}

The Scotsman is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its parent company, National World, also publishes the Edinburgh Evening News. It had an audited print circulation of 8,762 for July to December 2022.{{Cite web |date=27 Feb 2023 |title=The Scotsman {{!}} July to December 2022 |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/50527724.pdf |website=ABC}} Its website, Scotsman.com, had an average of 138,000 unique visitors a day as of 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/48121749.pdf |title=Online Property: Activity Certificate: July to December 2016. The Scotsman.com |publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations |date=23 February 2017 |access-date=10 July 2017 |archive-date=11 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011180255/https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/48121749.pdf |url-status=live }} The title celebrated its bicentenary on 25 January 2017.

History

File:Scotsman Office 1860 by Peddie and Kinnear.jpg

File:Scotsman Buildings as seen from below.JPG

File:Apex of the Scotsman Offices of 1899.jpg

File:Barclay House.JPG]]

The Scotsman was conceived in 1816Grant's Old and New Edinburgh vol.2 p.283 and first launched{{cite web|url=http://archive.scotsman.com/search/results/1817-01-25/1817-01-25?NewspaperTitle=The%2BScotsman&IssueId=BL%2F0000540%2F18170125%2F&County=Midlothian%2C%20Scotland|title=The Scotsman Archive: Search|date=25 January 1817|website=The Scotsman Digital Archive|location=UK|access-date=24 April 2015|archive-date=19 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019170655/http://archive.scotsman.com/search/results/1817-01-25/1817-01-25?NewspaperTitle=The%2BScotsman&IssueId=BL%2F0000540%2F18170125%2F&County=Midlothian%2C%20Scotland|url-status=live}} on 25 January 1817 as a liberal weekly newspaper by lawyer William Ritchie and customs official Charles Maclaren in response to the "unblushing subservience" of competing newspapers to the Edinburgh establishment. These two plus John Ramsay McCulloch were co-founders of the venture.Grant's Old and New Edinburgh vol.2 p.283

The paper was pledged to "impartiality, firmness and independence". The price was originally 6d plus 4d tax.Grant's Old and New Edinburgh vol.2 p.283 After the abolition of newspaper stamp tax in Scotland in 1855, The Scotsman was relaunched as a daily newspaper priced at 1d and a circulation of 6,000 copies.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

The fledgling paper was originally based at 257 High Street on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.{{Cite web|url=https://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/archive/83401611?&mode=transcription|title=(204) – Towns > Edinburgh > 1805–1834 – Post Office annual directory > 1832–1833 – Scottish Directories – National Library of Scotland|website=digital.nls.uk|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=14 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114142953/https://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/archive/83401611?&mode=transcription|url-status=live}} Until 1860 the Scotsman shared a building with the Caledonian Mercury newspaper.Grant's Old and New Edinburgh vol.2, p. 283

In 1860, The Scotsman obtained its own purpose built office on Cockburn Street in Edinburgh designed in the Scots baronial style by the architects Peddie & Kinnear.Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Peddie & Kinnear This backed onto their original offices on the Royal Mile. The building bears the initials "JR" for John Ritchie, the founder of the company. On 19 December 1904,{{cite web|url=http://archive.scotsman.com/help/about|title=About – Scotsman Digital Archive|first=The Scotsman Digital|last=Archive|website=archive.scotsman.com|access-date=25 April 2017|archive-date=16 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016071049/http://archive.scotsman.com/help/about|url-status=live}} they moved to much larger new offices at the top of Cockburn Street, facing onto North Bridge, designed by Dunn & Findlay (Findlay being the son of the then owner). This huge building had taken three years to build and also had connected printworks on Market Street (in 2024 the City Art Centre). The printworks connected below road level direct to Waverley station in an efficient production line.

In 1953 the newspaper was bought by Canadian millionaire Roy Thomson who was in the process of building a large media group. The paper was bought in 1995 by David and Frederick Barclay for £85 million. They moved the newspaper from its Edinburgh office on North Bridge, which is now an upmarket hotel, to modern offices in Holyrood Road designed by Edinburgh architects CDA, near the subsequent location of the Scottish Parliament Building.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

The daily was awarded by the Society for News Design (SND) the World's Best Designed Newspaper for 1994.{{cite web|title=World's Best-Designed winners (2006)|url=http://www.snd.org/competitions/print/worlds-best-designed/|website=Society for News Design|access-date=6 October 2013|date=23 February 2011|archive-date=11 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511105756/https://www.snd.org/competitions/print/worlds-best-designed/|url-status=dead}}

In December 2005, The Scotsman along with its sister titles owned by The Scotsman Publications Ltd was acquired, in a £160{{nbsp}}million deal, by Johnston Press, a company founded in Scotland and at the time one of the top three largest local newspaper publishers in the UK. Ian Stewart has been the editor since June 2012, after a reshuffle of senior management in April 2012 during which John McLellan who was the paper's editor-in-chief was dismissed. Ian Stewart was previously editor of Edinburgh Evening News and remains as the editor of Scotland on Sunday.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

In 2012, The Scotsman was named Newspaper of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.{{cite news |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/49153 |title=John McLellan collects newspaper of the year award |work=Press Gazette |location=UK |date=20 April 2012 |access-date=12 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101125719/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/49153 |archive-date=1 January 2013 }}

In 2006 the Barclay Brothers sold Barclay House to Irish property magnate Lochlann Quinn, and in 2013 Scottish video games maker Rockstar North, of Grand Theft Auto fame, signed the lease, causing Johnston Press group to move out in June 2014.{{cite web|last1=Lambourne|first1=Helen|title=Regional daily 'to seek new headquarters'|url=http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2013/news/regional-daily-to-seek-new-headquarters/|website=Hold the Front Page|access-date=21 June 2014|archive-date=29 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129095311/http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2013/news/regional-daily-to-seek-new-headquarters/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Nostalgia: Evening News on the move|publisher=Edinburgh Evening News|date=21 June 2014}} Johnston Press have downsized to refurbished premises at Orchard Brae House in Queensferry Road, Edinburgh, a move which was quoted as saving the group £1million per annum in rent.{{cite news|last1=Greenslade|first1=Roy|title=Johnston Press saves £1m a year with office move for The Scotsman|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/apr/28/the-scotsman-johnston-press|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=21 June 2014|date=28 April 2014|archive-date=3 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803145540/http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/apr/28/the-scotsman-johnston-press|url-status=live}}

The newspaper backed a 'No' vote in the referendum on Scottish independence.{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland-s-decision-the-scotsman-s-verdict-1-3537857 |title=Scotland's decision – The Scotsman's Verdict |newspaper=The Scotsman |date=10 September 2014 |access-date=10 September 2014 |archive-date=11 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911063658/http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland-s-decision-the-scotsman-s-verdict-1-3537857 |url-status=live }}

In November 2018, Johnston Press filed for administration. Shortly after filing for administration, the company was bought out by JPIMedia, a company which was bought by former Daily Mirror executive David Montgomery's new National World group in 2020.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-46241931 |title=Johnston Press: News Letter owner bought over by new company |date=17 November 2018 |work=BBC News |access-date=22 January 2019 |archive-date=19 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419110203/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-46241931 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/dec/31/owner-of-scotsman-and-yorkshire-post-newspapers-bought-for-10m|title=Owner of Scotsman and Yorkshire Post newspapers bought for £10m|date=31 December 2020|website=The Guardian|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=6 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106204358/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/dec/31/owner-of-scotsman-and-yorkshire-post-newspapers-bought-for-10m|url-status=live}}

In July 2023 an extra 52 years were added to the archive alongside the previous archives (1951–2002).{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

Editors

:1817: William Ritchie

:1817: Charles Maclaren

:1818: John Ramsay McCulloch

:1843: John Hill Burton (acting)

:1846: Alexander Russel

:1876: Robert Wallace

:1880: Charles Alfred Cooper{{cite magazine|title=Cooper, Charles Alfred|magazine=Who's Who|year=1907|volume=59|page=380|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yEcuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA380|access-date=30 December 2015|archive-date=6 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106203939/https://books.google.com/books?id=yEcuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA380|url-status=live}}

:1905: John Pettigrew Croal{{cite magazine|title=Croal, J. P.|magazine=Who's Who|year=1907|volume=59|page=413|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yEcuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA413|access-date=30 December 2015|archive-date=6 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106203939/https://books.google.com/books?id=yEcuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA413|url-status=live}}

:1924: George A. Waters

:1944: James Murray Watson

:1955: John Buchanan (acting)

:1956: Alastair Dunnett

:1972: Eric MacKay

:1985: Chris Baur

:1988: Magnus Linklater

:1994: Andrew Jaspan

:1995: James Seaton

:1997: Martin Clarke

:1998: Alan Ruddock

:2000: Tim Luckhurst

:2000: Rebecca Hardy

:2001: Iain Martin

:2004: John McGurk

:2006: Mike Gilson{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12427994.Scotsman_apos_s_choice_of_editor_raises_questions_over_future_direction_PRESS__APPOINTMENT__Industry_stunned_as_internal_Portsmouth_newspaper_boss_Mike_Gilson_wins_top_job/ |title=Scotsman's choice of editor raises questions over future direction PRESS: APPOINTMENT Industry stunned as internal Portsmouth newspaper boss Mike Gilson wins top job |first=Steven |last=Vass |work=The Sunday Herald |date=10 September 2006 |access-date=31 May 2018 |archive-date=7 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907013627/http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12427994.Scotsman_apos_s_choice_of_editor_raises_questions_over_future_direction_PRESS__APPOINTMENT__Industry_stunned_as_internal_Portsmouth_newspaper_boss_Mike_Gilson_wins_top_job/ |url-status=live }}

:2009: John McLellan

:2012: Ian Stewart

:2017: Frank O'Donnell

:2020: Euan McGrory

:2021: Neil McIntosh{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/scotsman-one-of-six-titles-to-be-overseen-by-same-editor|title=The Scotsman Digital Archive}}

:2024: Alan Young