''The Scots Magazine'' is a magazine containing articles on subjects of Scottish interest. It claims to be the oldest magazine in the world still in publication, although there have been several gaps in its publication history. It has reported on events from the defeat of the Jacobites through the

Napoleonic wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...

to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and on to the creation of the new

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyr ...

History

''The Scots Magazine'' was originally published in January 1739. It was intended as a rival to the London-based '' Gentleman's Magazine'', in order that "our countrymen might have the production of every month sooner, cheaper and better collected than before". Its first issue, dated Monday 9 February 1739, cost 6d. and appeared in a blue cover with the motto ''Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat''. Popular through the 18th century, it innovated a register of births, marriages and deaths, which other journals soon copied. From 1759 until 1765 it was edited by William Smellie. In 1801

Archibald Constable Archibald David Constable (24 February 1774 – 21 July 1827) was a Scottish publisher, bookseller and stationer. Life Constable was born at Carnbee, Fife, son of the land steward to the Earl of Kellie. In 1788 Archibald was apprenticed to ...

bought the magazine, and three years later amalgamated it with the ''Edinburgh Magazine and Literary Miscellany''. Its popularity, however, was eroded by competition with serious literary journals such as the ''

Edinburgh Review The ''Edinburgh Review'' is the title of four distinct intellectual and cultural magazines. The best known, longest-lasting, and most influential of the four was the third, which was published regularly from 1802 to 1929. ''Edinburgh Review'' ...

'' and ''

Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...

''. By 1826 sales had declined to such a point that it was withdrawn. Attempts to revive the name as the ''New Scots Magazine'' in 1828 and the ''Scots Weekly Magazine'' in 1832 were unsuccessful. In December 1887 publication resumed as a partial successor to ''The Scottish Church'' under a new owner (S. Cowan, Perth) and continued until 1893 when once again it was withdrawn. It was published between 1922 and 1924 as ''The Scottish Church''. In 1924 publication as ''The Scots Magazine'' resumed, this time by the St Andrew's Society (Glasgow). In 1927 D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd took over and have continued to publish it ever since. With a monthly average readership of over 178,000, ''The Scots Magazine'' is the world's best-selling Scottish-interest publication, containing articles on culture, history, nature, etc., and is targeted at Scots at home and abroad. In 2013, the magazine moved to a B5 format.

References

External links

*
''The Scots Magazine'', vols. 1–74, with omissions of vols. 56, 61–63, 72–73
hathitrust.org
Audit Bureau of Circulations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scots Magazine, The 1739 establishments in Scotland Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 1739 Magazines published in Scotland World magazines