The National (Scotland)

The National

First edition of The National, 24 November 2014
Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Compact
Owner(s)	Newsquest
Publisher	Herald & Times Group
Editor	Callum Baird
Founded	2014
Political alignment	Scottish nationalism Pro-independence Centre-left
Language	English; Scottish Gaelic; Lowland Scots
Headquarters	200 Renfield Street Glasgow, Scotland
Circulation	10,380 (Print: 8,496, Digital: 1,884)
Sister newspapers	Evening Times Sunday Herald The Herald (Glasgow)
Website	www.thenational.scot

The National is a Scottish daily newspaper owned by Newsquest that began publication on 24 November 2014, and the first daily newspaper in Scotland to support Scottish independence. Launched as a response to calls from Newsquest's readership for a pro-independence paper in the wake of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, it is a sister paper of The Herald and the Sunday Herald, and is edited by Callum Baird. Initially published on weekdays, a Saturday edition was added in May 2015. The National is printed in tabloid format, and is also available via online subscription.

Details of its launch were announced on 21 November, with further information given at a Scottish National Party (SNP) rally the following day. It was launched on a five-day trial basis against the backdrop of a general decline in newspaper sales, with an initial print-run of 60,000 copies for its first edition, but this was increased the following day as a result of public demand, and Newsquest decided to print it on a permanent basis after healthy sales continued throughout the first week. By January 2015, daily sales had fallen to below 20,000. The first front page carried a story about charities urging devolution of powers over welfare legislation to Scotland.

Reception to the newspaper's launch was mixed in both media and political circles. Libby Brooks of The Guardian praised the depth of its news coverage, and suggested announcing its launch at an SNP event could prove "auspicious", while the Labour peer George Foulkes branded it "McPravda". However, the Scottish journalist and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch was more positive, feeling its launch could be a "sound business move" by its publishers. Upon its launch, The National stated that it is a separate entity from the SNP.