Published: Friday, 6th March, 2009 12:30pm

Your PN is Scotland's fastest-growing newspaper

by David Knox

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FIGURES have revealed that the Peeblesshire News is the fastest growing newspaper in Scotland.

And only two other titles in mainland Britain have produced better growth results.

Loyal readership of Tweeddale"s leading weekly has grown by a whopping 6.2 per cent in the second half of 2008.

In difficult times for the newspaper industry, the Peeblesshire News has bucked the trend.

Editor Atholl Innes said: 'This is a testimony to all the hard work that our editorial and advertising teams have contributed over the past year.

'In my many years of editing the Peeblesshire News I don"t recall ever having a stronger editorial team.

'Everyone at the Peeblesshire News is committed to delivering a quality newspaper every week and we can only thank all of our readers and advertisers for their continued support.'

The only other Scottish titles to show a year-on-year increase in readership during the second half of 2008 were the Strathspey & Badenoch Herald (3.9%) and the Brechin Advertiser (0.7%).

Although our staff should have been celebrating the release of the official ABC figures, instead they were picking up the pieces after technical problems meant copies of your favourite paper didn"t hit the street until Saturday.

Mr Innes added: 'We can assure readers that last week"s Saturday edition was a one-off.

'We are adopting to a new modern production system and teething problems delayed printing. It will be business as usual from now on'

English weekly papers the Hounslow Borough Chronicle (7.9%) and the Cheadle Post (6.7%) narrowly managed greater growth in circulation.

Scottish Borders Council"s deputy leader Neil Calvert isn"t surprised by the PN"s success.

He said: 'I"m pleased to hear about the success of the Peeblesshire News.

'It certainly keeps everyone abreast of local affairs and is a must read in my house every Friday.