History

The British press first appeared in the early 17th century but there were problems facing would-be publishers, a license was required and regular censorship took place. This caused a stifling of any advancement in the British press and it was not until after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and also Parliament's decision in 1695 against renewing the stringent Licensing Act that publishing laws were relaxed. This led to presses being introduced outside London and increased publishing freedom, paving the way for the establishment of the Edinburgh Gazette.

First published in 1699 the Edinburgh Gazette was to have an erratic production history. Starting and stopping several times throughout the 18th century before continuously running from 1793 to the present day.