Robert Smail's Printing Works

Robert Smail's Printing Works is a functioning museum with three operating Victorian presses, shelves holding hundreds of typefaces, and a complete array of equipment from the 1800s. The space feels frozen in time, with every tool and material arranged as it was when the presses ran daily.

The works began in 1866 and spent more than a century printing newspapers, tickets, and commercial materials for the local area. The National Trust for Scotland took over the site in 1986 to preserve it as a working example of this printing era.

The works show how printing shaped communication in small Scottish towns over generations. Visitors can see people practicing techniques that once connected entire communities through newspapers and notices.

Advance booking is necessary since visits are guided tours only. Allow enough time to see the demonstrations of the presses and learn how each machine operates.

The collection includes 52 large ledger books that record a full century of local printing history. These volumes contain samples of everything produced at the works, from newspapers to commercial forms created for regional businesses.

Location: Scottish Borders

Website: https://nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-smails

GPS coordinates: 55.61960,-3.06200

Latest update: December 13, 2025 11:44