The Scottish Farmer is 130 years old this year and it’s going to be a year of celebration for what is thought to be the oldest continuously named farming newspaper in the UK and probably in Europe.

We plan to celebrate this milestone with new features, new columnists and we will continue to strive to be ‘out there’ to connect with our readership across Scotland and beyond.

In the next few pages, though, you will find a selection of pictures taken from our extensive digital archives [many of which can be found in the Photo Sales section of our website at www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk. Such is the fairly static nature of agriculture and the people who are part of it in Scotland, there’s bound to be someone you know in these pictures – even some of the older ones!

While we’re conscious that some of our younger readers will question the validity of looking back at our heritage, there’s no doubt that you cannot look forward too much with having a glance back at what has gone before. Just remember that the current fad for making best use of farmyard manures, rotational grazing and looking after soil health were as much a part of farming when The Scottish Farmer first hit the doorsteps in 1893.

It was started back then by an eminent group of farmers that included Charles Howatson, of Glenbuck, near Muirkirk, who was a prominent breeder of Blackface sheep at that time and had considerable mining interests; the MacPherson-Grant brothers, George and Campbell, from Ballindalloch, and who were in the whisky trade; the Rev Dr John Gillespie, the son of a prominent Ayrshire farmer and secretary of the Galloway Cattle Society; and also Patrick Hunter, of Waterybutts, Errol, a farmer and chairman of the General Accident Assurance Co.

It’s a connection that we are proud of and also the fact that all of our staff remains heavily connected to farming and rural life. And we are all looking forward to meeting with you at what we hope will be a busy show and sale season.