The Publication of the First Edition of the Scots Magazine

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.

The Scots Magazine is one of Scotland’s oldest magazines and has a long and storied history. It was initially published in Edinburgh, Scotland, and it covered a wide range of topics including news, politics, literature, and culture.

The magazine played a significant role in Scottish society, providing a platform for discussing current events, promoting Scottish literature and culture, and fostering intellectual debate. Over the years, it has featured contributions from many notable Scottish writers, thinkers, and politicians.

The Scots Magazine continues to be published to this day, making it one of the longest-running magazines in Scotland and an important part of the country’s cultural and literary heritage.