Come and See Scotland’s First Printed Books

September 9 is the 500th anniversary of the battle of Flodden, which saw the death of King James IV. We will mark the 500th anniversary of the battle and celebrate the contribution of James IV to printing in Scotland by displaying the first known books to be printed in this country.

James IV has been acclaimed by historians as the king whose reign brought the Renaissance to Scotland. Printing was introduced to Scotland when he granted a patent to merchant Walter Chepman and bookseller Androw Myllar allowing them to import the country’s first printing press.

NLS holds the only surviving copy of Scotland’s first dated printed book in a volume with other unique works from Chepman and Myllar’s press – one of the most precious items in our collections.

The importance of the Chepman and Myllar prints was highlighted when they were added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2010.

There is no need to book, just turn up on the day to view the books. Expert curators will be on hand to explain the background to their unrivalled place in Scotland’s printed heritage.