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A REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE
A History of the Aberdeen and Northern Counties Printing
Industry
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Northern Counties - Elgin
The first issue of The Moray and Nairn Express (later to be renamed
The Northern Scot) appeared on 29 October 1880, price a halfpence.
In its early years the four page newspaper was printed by The Aberdeen
Journal, this arrangement continuing when the ex-tent was increased
to eight pages in May 1882.
By 1885 the premises at 175 High Street, Elgin, were acquired, the
price paid for them at public roup being £1805. The Centenary
Supplement of the newspaper contains an interesting description
of the location:
The site is a typical mediaeval property stretching from the High
Street northwards to the North Back Gait (Blackfriars Road). It
bears the marks of its origins by being less than dead straight
over its long sides. (Tradition has it that, when Elgin’s feus
were originally given off the boundaries were marked by a plough
pulled by an ox; and oxen had the habit of pulling to the left irrespective
of the political sympathies of the feu’s even-tual owners.)
In July 1885 the decision was taken to establish a printing works
so that at least part of the paper could be printed locally. The
initial plant consisted of supplies of type, a gas engine, and printing
presses of which the most expensive item was a Wharfedale press.
In 1886, when the circulation had risen to 4300copies, problems
arose over the arrangements with The Aberdeen Journal which was
still printing half the newspaper’s eight page extent. After
due consideration, and on the recommendation of William Mackenzie,
the paper’s first editor and manager, it was decided to terminate
the Aberdeen agreement. By September 1887 the transfer was complete
and this enabled full editorial and production control to be based
in Elgin.
Mechanical typesetting was the next major step to be considered,
and in 1897 The Northern Scot took the decision to have its first
Linotype machine. Initially, this was rented for £8 per year
but after twelve months the machine was purchased out-right for
£400.
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Volume 3 published 1996
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