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Sources of information on Scottish newspapers

The reference works, further reading suggestions and selected articles we have listed here provide a wide range of information about Scottish newspapers past and present. You can consult them in our General Reading Room, and find details in our main catalogue using the title, author or shelfmark.

See also: Newspaper resources online

 

Reference works

  • Ferguson, Joan P S (compiler). 'Directory of Scottish newspapers'. (Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland, 1984) [NLS shelfmark: GNE.2008.2.3]
  • Mackenzie, Alice. 'NEWSPLAN: report of the NEWSPLAN project in Scotland'. (London: British Library, 1994) [Issue Hall.Publ.6.2.4.S]
  • Nelson, Carolyn. 'British newspapers and periodicals, 1641-1700: A short-title catalogue of serials printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, and British America: with a checklist of serials printed 1701-March 1702'. (New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1987) [NRR 1.3 (Nel)]
  • North, John S. 'The Waterloo directory of Scottish newspapers and periodicals', 1800-1900. (Waterloo, Ontario: North Waterloo Academic Press, 1989) [Issue Hall.Publ.5.2.4.W]
  • 'Scottish newspaper directory and guide to advertisers: A complete manual of the newspaper press'. (2nd edition. Edinburgh: T C Jack, 1855) [ABS.1.83.105]
  • Wolff, Michael. 'The Waterloo directory of Victorian periodicals, 1824-1900'. (Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1976) [Issue Hall.Publ.5.2.4.W]
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Further reading

  • 'The Aberdeen journal and its history: The men who made it'. (Aberdeen: Aberdeen Journal, 1894) [BCL.B5819]
  • Aird, Andrew. 'Reminiscences of editors, reporters, and printers, during the last sixty years'. (Glasgow: Aird & Coghill [1890]) [ABS.2.90.54]
  • Boswell, Henry Alexander. 'About newspapers, chiefly English and Scottish'. (Edinburgh: St Giles’ Printing Co., 1888) [NG.1595.e.31]
  • Campbell, Andrew J. 'Cupar, the years of controversy: Its newspaper press, 1822-1872'. ([Fife]: Fife Family History Society, 2009) [PB5.210.312/12]
  • Campbell, Jack. 'A word for Scotland'. (Edinburgh: Luath, 1998) [HP2.200.02831]
  • Cline, C L. 'The fate of Cassandra: The newspaper war of 1821-22 and Sir Walter Scott'. (Austin: University of Texas, 1971) [H4.77.413]
  • Cooper, Charles A. 'An editor’s retrospect: Fifty years of newspaper work'. (London: MacMillan, 1896) [Hall.260.a]
  • Cooper, W J. 'The Edinburgh periodical press: Being a bibliographical account of the newspapers, journals and magazines issued in Edinburgh from the earliest times to 1800'. (Stirling: E Mackay, 1908) [Issue Hall.Publ.5.2.4.E]
  • Cormack, Alexander A. 'The Chalmers family and Aberdeen newspapers: Links between Aberdeen and Gothenburg'. (Peterculter: [for the author], 1958) [5.2054]
  • Cowan, R M W. 'The newspaper in Scotland: A study of its first expansion 1815-1860'. (Glasgow: G Outram, 1946) [Hist.S.68.Ne.C]
  • Craig, Mary Elizabeth. 'The Scottish periodical press, 1750-1789'. (Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1931) [Issue Hall.Publ.5.2.4.S]
  • Donaldson, William. 'Popular literature in Victorian Scotland: Language, fiction and the press'. (Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1986) [H3.87.51]
  • Douglas, Fiona M. 'Scottish newspapers, language and identity'. (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009) [HB2.210.5.203]
  • Ewing, A McL. 'A history of the Glasgow Herald'. (Glasgow: for private circulation, 1949) [R.253.d]
  • Ferguson, Duncan. 'The Scottish newspaper press'. (Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd for the Saltire Society, 1946) [5.1151]
  • Fraser, George and Peters, Ken. 'The Northern lights'. (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1978) [H3.78.6230]
  • Gardner, Carreen S. 'Printing in Ayr and Kilmarnock: Newspapers, periodicals, books and pamphlets printed from about 1780 until 1920'. ([Ayr]: Ayrshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1976) (SU.37 [4.2.1 Gar)]
  • George Outram & Company Ltd. 'The Outram newspapers: The Glasgow Herald, the Evening Times, the Bulletin, Glasgow weekly herald'. (Glasgow: G Outram, 1933) [6.1096]
  • 'The Glasgow Herald, 1783-1958'. (Glasgow: 'The Glasgow Herald', [1958]) [6.318]
  • 'The glorious privilege: The history of "The Scotsman".' (London: Nelson for 'The Scotsman', 1967) [NG.1594.b.14]
  • Graham, Michael. 'The Early Glasgow press: A paper read to the members of the Old Glasgow Club on March 19, 1906'. (Glasgow: Printed by R Anderson, 1906) [6.768]
  • Grant, James. 'The metropolitan, weekly, and provincial press'. (London: Routledge, 1872) [AB.3.201.005]
  • Grant, James. 'The newspaper press: Its origin, progress, and present position'. (London: Tinsley Brothers, 1871) [AB.3.201.005]
  • Harper, Norman. 'Press and Journal: The first 250 years 1748-1998'. (Aberdeen: Aberdeen Journals, 199)7 [H8.97.932]
  • 'The Herald, 225 years: 1783-2008'. ([Glasgow: The Herald, 2007]) [PB6.208.287/12]
  • Hutchison, David (editor) 'Headlines: The media in Scotland'. (Edinburgh: EUSPB, 1978) [Q3.78.1508]
  • John Cossar Ltd. 'A century of service: 1878-1978'. (Glasgow: John Cossar, [1979]) [PB4.209.96/9]
  • Mackie, Allister. 'The trade unionist and the tycoon'. (Edinburgh: Mainstream, 1992) [Q3.93.2182]
  • M'Bain, J M. 'Bibliography of Arbroath periodical literature and political broadsides'. (Arbroath: Brodie & Salmond, 1889) [K.R.20.b]
  • McKay, Ron. 'The story of the Scottish daily news'. (Edinburgh: Canongate, 1976) [NE.22.g.23]
  • Millar, A H. 'The Dundee advertiser, 1801-1901: A centenary memoir'. (Dundee: John Leng, 1901) [R.255.a]
  • Morris, Albert. 'Scotland's paper: The Scotsman 1817-1992'. Edinburgh: Scotsman Publications, 1992. [HP1.92.1084]
  • National Library of Scotland. 'Read all about it: The story of the news in Scotland'. (Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland [2004]) [GNE.2004.3.1]
  • 'The newspaper press of the present day: Its birth and growth throughout the United Kingdom and British islands from 1665'. (London: Saunders, Otley & Co., 1860) [NE.20.f.2]
  • Norrie, William. 'Edinburgh newspapers past and present'. (Earlston: Waverley Press, 1891) [1891.26(4)]
  • Phillips, Alastair. 'Glasgow's Herald 1783-1983'. (Glasgow: R. Drew, 1983) [HP3.83.267]
  • Reid, Donald L. 'The Beith supplement: The story of Beith's newspaper'. (Beith: Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Beith (North Ayrshire) Open Award Group, 2000) [HP3.201.0393]
  • Reid, Harry. 'Deadline: the story of the Scottish press'. (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 2006) [PB5.207.1/6]
  • Riley, Edward. 'Life is local: The history of Johnston Press plc'. (Edinburgh: Johnston Press, 2006) [HB2.206.7.481]
  • Sinclair, Alexander. 'Fifty years of newspaper life, 1845-1895: Being chiefly reminiscences of that time'. (Glasgow: Printed for private circulation, [1895]) [R.164.g]
  • Smith, Maurice. 'Paper lions: The Scottish press and national identity'. (Edinburgh: Polygon, 1994) [QP1.95.5]
  • Stewart, William. 'The first Glasgow newspaper: "The Glasgow Courant" afterwards "The West-Country intelligence"'. (Glasgow: Maclehose, Jackson & Co. for the Author, 1924) [5.375]
  • Stewart, William. 'The Glasgow press in 1840'. (Glasgow: Printed for private distribution, 1921) [5.344]
  • Stewart, William. 'John Lennox and the "Greenock newsclout": A fight against the taxes on knowledge'. (Glasgow: James Maclehose & Sons, 1918) [5.300]
  • Taylor, Mike. 'Lennox herald, 150 years'. (Irvine: Scottish & Universal Newspapers, 2001) [PB6.210.559/10]
  • Tierney, James H. 'Early Glasgow newspapers, periodicals and directories'. (Glasgow: J Hedderwick, [1934]) [1934.32]
  • Tierney, James and Tierney, James H. 'Early Scottish newspapers and extras: Revelations of the good old days?' (Helensburgh: Macneur and Bryden, 1961) [5.2298]
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Selected articles

  • Fraser, W Hamish. 'The Chartist press in Scotland', in 'Papers for the people: A study of the Chartist press', (London: Merlin Press, 2005), 82-105 [PB8.209.746/4]
  • Harris, Bob. 'Scotland's newspapers, the French Revolution and domestic radicalism (circa 1789-1794)', in 'Scottish historical review', 84:1 (Apr. 2005), 38-62 [Hist.S.2.SHS]
  • 'Historical and personal history of the Scottish press', in 'Fraser's magazine for town and country', 18 (1838), 75-85, 201-20 [P.51]
  • Holmes, Heather. 'Scottish agricultural newspapers and journals and the industrialisation of agriculture, 1800-1880', in 'Folk life', 40 (2001-2002), 25-38 [HJ8.1048]
  • Hutchinson, I G C. 'Reporting the wider world: National and international affairs and the local press in nineteenth century Scotland', in 'Scottish local history', 28 (1993), 11-14 [HP.la.120]
  • Hutchison, David. 'The history of the press', in 'The media in Scotland', (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 55-70 [PB8.209.918/6]
  • Kernohan, R D. 'Falling estate: The press', in 'Scottish review', 44 (2007), 33-42 [HJ4.1179]
  • Langmack, Tony. 'Local newspapers in Berwick and the Borders', in 'History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club', 48:1 (1999), 20-23 [SJ3.800]
  • McDougall, Warren. 'Hamilton, Balfour, and Neill's Edinburgh chronicle', in 'Scottish book collector', 2:11 (1991), 24-28 [HJ9.2413]
  • McKerrell, Christine. 'Salute the Banner!', in 'Scots magazine', new ser., 127:5 (1987), 475-483 [HJ4.612]
  • Munro, Donald. '175 years of the Montrose review: Scotland's second oldest weekly newspaper', in 'Journal of newspaper and periodical history', 2:3 (1986), 14-21 [HJ9.490]
  • Newby, Andrew G. 'The Oban times and the early land agitation in the Highlands, 1877-1881', in 'Scottish local history', 54 (2002), 13-21 [HP.la.120]
  • 'The newspaper press of Scotland', in 'Fraser's magazine for town and country', 17 (1838), 559-571 (P.51)
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