Inside 19th-century Blairgowrie print shop building that campaigners want to reopen

Images reveal the inside of a 19th-century Blairgowrie print shop that campaigners are bidding to reopen.

The former Blairgowrie Printers in Reform Street could become a public venue after its closure in 2007.

Leaflets, newspapers and pamphlets were printed from the 1880s in the shop, which is thought to be one of the last of its kind in Scotland.

Owner Laura Gardiner is working with Our Heritage Blairgowrie and Rattray to breathe new life into the historic building.

‘No heritage buildings in Blairgowrie’, says campaigner

The group aims to create a “living and breathing” interactive museum and cultural hub showcasing the history of Blairgowrie.

Graeme Berry, 44, is from Our Heritage Blairgowrie and Rattray.

He said: “It’s something that Blairgowrie is lacking – there are no heritage attraction buildings in the town.

“At the same time, there is a pretty unique history to Blairgowrie, the way it’s developed over the years with agriculture and the travelling community.

“There’s a lot of really great stories, but nowhere to interpret them.

“We thought, being the home of the town through the local paper, it’s a good way to bring that full circle and display some of these stories.

“There’s not a mid-sized venue for fairly low-key exhibitions, poetry readings, recitals and folk songs.

“There’s a bit of a gap so we thought it would be a good fit for that.”

Homage to ‘very old’ Blairgowrie print works

Graeme hopes people would also be able to use the machines for small-scale commercial printing.

But substantial work is required to repair and transform the building into usable space.

He added: “When we were approached about taking on the print works, we didn’t think there was much left.

“It’s a project that ties in with the social history and stories of the town.

“We’ve got the archives and the building, potentially, we should do something with this.

“We’ve applied for funding through the architectural heritage fund, which was granted for a project liability assessment, which is what we’re doing this year.

“From there we hope to progress on to get the project up and running.

“It’s very old, it was never meant to last as long as it has.

“It’s purely about the utility, and because that’s all it’s ever been, it makes it quite unique.

“A purpose-built industrial building from the 1880s, complete with a lot of its original machinery.

“As far as we know, it’s one of the last, if not the only surviving purpose-built print works in Scotland.”

If the project comes to fruition, it is hoped it will open to the public in four to five years.

Elsewhere in Blairgowrie, a new wine bistro and restaurant has opened its doors to the public.