Montrose Review

The Montrose Review was a historic Scottish local newspaper associated with the town of Montrose and the surrounding communities of Angus and Kincardineshire. It was established on 11 January 1811 under the substantially longer title The Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review, and Forfar and Kincardine Shires Advertiser. The title reflected the newspaper's intended geographical reach across several towns and the counties it served, rather than a narrowly municipal focus. For more than two centuries, the Review operated as a weekly publication serving local readers with regional news and advertising. Its circulation extended throughout Angus and Kincardineshire, placing it within the tradition of Scottish provincial newspapers that provided a durable civic, commercial and social record for communities outside the major urban centres. The available reference material does not identify its founder, detailed circulation figures, editorial policies or specific editorial campaigns, but it establishes the newspaper's long continuity and regional importance. The Review was one of two newspapers associated with Montrose. In 1837 it was joined by the Standard, another local title. The Standard continued until 1964, while the Review remained in publication for much longer. The newspaper was at one time edited by the Scottish poet and writer Hugh MacDiarmid, whose association with the title forms part of its literary and editorial history. The Montrose Review ultimately became notable for its longevity. It was described as having published for 210 years and as Scotland's second-oldest weekly newspaper. Its separate existence ended in June 2021, when its owner, JPI Media, merged it with other local newspapers under the Angus County Press title. This change ended the Montrose Review as an independent newspaper brand, although the merger placed its regional publishing function within a continuing consolidated local-press structure. The title should therefore be understood as a defunct newspaper brand rather than a currently operating national media company. Its historical identity rests on its long publication run, its coverage of Angus and Kincardineshire, its relationship to the wider Montrose newspaper tradition, and its role in Scottish local journalism from the early nineteenth century through the era of consolidated regional newspaper ownership.

The Montrose Review was founded on 11 January 1811 in Scotland under the full title The Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review, and Forfar and Kincardine Shires Advertiser. Its name indicated a broad regional remit covering Montrose, Arbroath, Brechin and the surrounding shires. From its beginnings, the publication belonged to Scotland's provincial newspaper tradition, in which weekly titles connected dispersed communities through local reporting, notices and advertising. The newspaper circulated widely across Angus and Kincardineshire. Although the available reference material does not provide detailed information about its original proprietors, print technology, circulation numbers or political orientation, the title's long survival indicates that it maintained a sustained readership in the region. Its editorial and commercial role would have been tied to the towns and rural communities served by its distribution area. Montrose developed a broader local newspaper culture during the nineteenth century. In 1837, the Review was joined by the Standard, another newspaper based in Montrose. The Standard eventually ceased publication in 1964, leaving the Review as the longer-lived of the two historic titles. The Review was also at one time edited by Hugh MacDiarmid, the Scottish poet and writer. The extent and dates of his editorial involvement are not specified in the available material, but the connection links the newspaper to an important figure in twentieth-century Scottish literary culture. The Review continued publication for approximately 210 years. Its survival through major changes in Scottish society, the newspaper industry and communications technology made it one of the country's most enduring weekly titles. It was described as Scotland's second-oldest weekly newspaper, a distinction based on its continuous historical identity and longevity rather than on national scale. The title's independent existence ended in June 2021. JPI Media, which owned the newspaper at that point, merged it with other local newspapers and published the combined operation under the Angus County Press title. This was part of the consolidation of local newspaper publishing, in which historically distinct titles could be grouped within a shared regional structure. The merger ended the Montrose Review as a separate publication after more than two centuries. The newspaper's legacy is consequently both institutional and local. It represents a continuous thread in the history of Angus and Kincardineshire journalism, while its final merger illustrates the commercial and organizational pressures that reshaped regional newspapers in the modern period.

• 2021

  Separate publication ends

  [1]Montrose Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  After approximately 210 years, JPI Media merged the Review with other local newspapers under the Angus County Press title.

• 1964

  Standard ceases publication

  [1]Montrose Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  The Standard ended publication, while the Montrose Review continued as the surviving historic title.

• 1837

  Montrose Standard established

  [1]Montrose Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  The Review was joined by another Montrose newspaper, the Standard, adding to the town's local newspaper landscape.

• 1811

  Newspaper established

  [1]Montrose Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  The publication was established on 11 January 1811 under the full title The Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review, and Forfar and Kincardine Shires Advertiser.

A long-established Scottish regional weekly serving communities in Angus and Kincardineshire.

• Weekly regional newspaper · 1811

  Montrose Review

  The core product was a weekly newspaper serving Montrose and a wider area across Angus and Kincardineshire. Its historical identity was expressed in its original long title, which named Montrose, Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar and Kincardineshire. The publication remained a distinct newspaper title for roughly 210 years before being merged into Angus County Press in June 2021.

• 2021

  Merger into Angus County PressM&A

  Background

  The Montrose Review had been published as a separate regional weekly for approximately 210 years, but local newspaper ownership had become increasingly consolidated.

  Action taken

  JPI Media combined the Review with other local newspapers under the Angus County Press title.

  Aftermath

  The Montrose Review ceased to exist as a separate publication, ending its independent run while its regional publishing activities were incorporated into the consolidated title.

  Source

1. 1Montrose Reviewen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Montrose Review official websitemontrosereview.co.uk