The printing industry in Scotland dates from the early 16th century, when Scotland’s first printing press was established by Walter Chepman and Androw Myllar in Edinburgh’s Cowgate.
Printing spread gradually through Scotland, with a press established in St Andrews in 1552, a short-lived one in Stirling in 1571 and in Aberdeen in 1622, with other major towns such as Glasgow following later in the seventeenth century: the spread of printing across Scotland is shown on the Spread of Scottish Printing web feature. By the end of the 19th century, even the smallest towns had their own print shops.
At its peak, the printing industry was a major employer and had a reputation for the very high standard of its productions. The industry declined noticeably during the 1970s and 1980s but remains important to Scotland’s economy.
On 4 April 2008, as part of the celebration of 500 years of the printing industry in Scotland, a commemorative plaque was unveiled near the site of Chepman and Myllar’s press, at the corner of Blackfriars Steet and the Cowgate, placed there by the City of Edinb
urgh Council.
In 2018, as part of the celebration of the Trust’s 30th anniversary, the Trust arranged an exhibition in the Glasgow Herald‘s former printing works in the Lighthouse, Mitchell Lane.
The Trust’s series of books on local printing industries in Scotland, published under the title A Reputation for Excellence are available through the online shop. Text-only versions are downloadable as PDF files through the links below:
