In 1508, in a workshop in Edinburgh, the first books ever printed in Scotland rolled off a brand-new press. The achievement of Walter Chepman and Andrew Myllar, backed by King James IV, brought the revolutionary technology of print to Scotland and helped preserve some of its greatest early poetry. This is the story of how the printed word arrived north of the border.
Key facts: Scotland's first printing press
- Date: The first dated works appeared in 1508
- Printers: Walter Chepman, a wealthy merchant, and Andrew Myllar, a bookseller with printing experience
- Location: Edinburgh's Southgait (now the Cowgate)
- Royal backing: A patent granted by King James IV in 1507
- What they printed: Poetry by William Dunbar and Robert Henryson, and church texts such as the Aberdeen Breviary
- Significance: The beginning of the Scottish printing and publishing tradition
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A king who valued learning
King James IV was one of the most cultured of all Scottish monarchs – a patron of poets, a speaker of many languages, and a ruler keenly interested in new technology. Print had been transforming Europe since Gutenberg's press of the 1450s, and James was determined that Scotland should not be left behind. In 1507 he granted Walter Chepman and Andrew Myllar a royal patent to set up a press, instructing them to print law books, histories and service books for the Scottish church.
The first Scottish books
The partners imported type and equipment and began work in Edinburgh. In 1508 they produced a series of small books – now known as the Chepman and Myllar Prints – that included poems by William Dunbar and Robert Henryson, two of the finest poets of Scotland's golden age of verse. They went on to print the Aberdeen Breviary, a distinctly Scottish service book that helped assert the independence of the Scottish church. Without their press, much of this early literature might have been lost entirely.
A lasting legacy
The arrival of print was a quiet revolution. It made books cheaper and more widely available, spread ideas faster, and over time helped standardise the written Scots and English of the page. Within decades the press would become a powerful weapon in the religious struggles of the Reformation, as reformers and their opponents fought for hearts and minds in print.
James IV's enthusiasm for innovation did not save him: just five years later he fell with the flower of his nobility at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. But the press he licensed outlived him, founding a tradition that would one day make Edinburgh one of the great publishing cities of the world.
Frequently asked questions
When was the first printing press in Scotland?
The first books were printed in 1508 by Walter Chepman and Andrew Myllar in Edinburgh, under a royal patent granted in 1507.
What did they print?
They printed Scottish poetry, including works by William Dunbar and Robert Henryson, as well as church texts such as the Aberdeen Breviary.
Why was it important?
It brought printing to Scotland, preserved early Scottish literature, spread ideas more widely, and founded the country's publishing tradition.
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