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Backing for Inverness Courier's new Nairnshire edition after sad demise of 180-year-old newspaper


By Alasdair Fraser

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front page of the new Nairn edition of The Inverness Courier
front page of the new Nairn edition of The Inverness Courier

The announcement that the Nairnshire Telegraph has ceased publication after nearly 180 years has been received with shock and sadness in the community in equal measure.

But community leaders have reacted positively to the steps being taken by the Courier to ensure readers have an experienced source for local news.

Nairn Provost Laurie Fraser said: “I think it’s clear Covid was the final straw and the town will miss the Nairnshire Telegraph.

“The community owes a great debt to [editor] Iain Bain and the newspaper. Despite its critics, it had a tremendous loyal readership.

“I thank Iain, the generations of his family, and their staff, past and present, for their service to Nairn over such a long period of time.

Provost Laurie Fraser. Picture: Gary Anthony.
Provost Laurie Fraser. Picture: Gary Anthony.

“I am delighted however that HN Media is going to fill the breach. It would be a tragedy if Nairn was to become a news wasteland and it’s vital the voice of the community continues to be heard.

“The Inverness Courier has a reputation for providing quality news coverage and I’m sure that will be reflected in anything they do.”

Nairn County chairman Donald Matheson described the end of an era for the Nairnshire Telegraph as a big blow.

“It was an institution in Nairn and has been fantastic for Nairn County FC, St Ninian FC and sport in the town in general,” he said. “It has always been there for us in times of need and much of what we have achieved would not have been possible without the coverage given to us by the paper.

“It wasn’t a very big paper but it would leave a massive void in local news coverage. So I am delighted that HN Media are doing something in response to that.

“We owe a great debt to the Nairnshire, Iain and John Dolan for their sports coverage. But we have also enjoyed excellent coverage from the Inverness Courier and Highland News on our activities both on and off the field and I am delighted the newspaper group is stepping in.”

Sam Morrison, manager at Nairn Community and Arts Centre, said it used the Nairnshire Telegraph to publicise what it was involved in.

Sam Morrison,manager of Nairn Community and Arts Centre..Picture: Gary Anthony..
Sam Morrison,manager of Nairn Community and Arts Centre..Picture: Gary Anthony..

“The Nairnshire publicised all our events and we used the paper extensively for advertising and news stories, so it a great relief to know HN Media is taking on the role of providing Nairn with news coverage.

“The Courier is a quality paper and provides a great service so we look forward to developing our relationship in the future to ensure when we get back to normality the public will be fully kept up to speed with what’s going on at the centre.”

Lucy Harding, manager of Nairn Connects BID, said: “We were devastated to hear that the Nairnshire Telegraph had published its last edition.

“However, we are delighted to hear what the Courier is doing. It’s important for a town of this size to still have a voice and it’s vital the people and businesses have a media presence and journalists representing them who are willing to cover the array of news here.”

Read news from Nairnshire here


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