500 years of Scottish printing

In 2008, the Trust, together with the National Library of Scotland and Graphic Enterprise Scotland (now Print Scotland), celebrated Scotland’s Year of the printed word, marking the 500th anniversary of the introduction of printing to Scotland. You can see the range of exhibitions, printing demonstrations and workshops and other events that took place throughout Scotland, from Shetland to Dumfries, and from Argyll to Aberdeen, on the main project page.

Permanent legacies of the celebrations include:

• a plaque placed at the corner of Blackfriars Steet and the Cowgate in Edinburgh by the City of Edinburgh Council
• a commemorative book, 500 years of printing in Scotland, available through our online shop
• the National Library of Scotland’s Spread of Scottish Printing website
• a digitised facsimile of the Chepman and Myllar prints produced by the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Text Society
• artists Kenny Munro and Edward O’Donnelly created an evocative film, From this place words fly, to celebrate Scotland’s rich printing history. The project was a partnership between National Museums Scotland and National Trust for Scotland. The film includes footage from Scottish Screen, Robert Smail’s Printing Works at Innerleithen and Powderhall Foundry in Edinburgh
• the A K Bell Library in Perth published a booklet, Treasures of the A K Bell Library
• the National Library of Scotland, in association with the Sandstone Press, published Scottish printed books by Antony Kamm