THE STORNOWAY GAZETTE (2)

We first wrote about the ownership of the Stornoway Gazette in 2022.  The paper has come a long way from the ownership of the founder and original editor, William Grant,  in 1917.  We'll try and piece together the history to get to where we are today.

William Grant transferred the paper to his wife and to his son,  James Shaw Grant,  on his death in 1932.  James was to follow down the line  as both owner and editor.  The paper was  subsequently transferred to the ownership of the company known as Stornoway Gazette Ltd on 18 January 1954 with James Shaw Grant becoming the founding director of the new company.  James kept up his assocation with both the paper and the company for many years but the Gazette was sold to those controlling The Galloway Gazette in 1979. Eventually, the Gazette found its way to being owned by Johnston Press plc in 2004. 

Johnston Press plc became a financial basket case and ownership of the Stornoway Gazette was then acquired by JPI Media Publications Ltd,  a company that was,  essentially, a restructuring of Johnston Press plc.   Subsequently, ownership of JPI Media Publications Ltd  transferred to National World Publishing Ltd but that didn't last long and the paper was  acquired by Iconic Media Group Ltd in May 2025.  Iconic Media Group Ltd is owned by Media Concierge (Holdings) Ltd,  a private limited company registered at 22 Victoria Street,  London.  

So,  all in all,  it's been a bit of an eventful journey for the Gazette in its later years compared with the stability of the first 60 years.

Melinda Gillen was editor of the Gazette from 2004 until 2020.  Her period as editor was marred by her being cheerleader for sometime Scottish Nationalist MP for the Western Isles,  Angus Brendan MacNeil,  together with her publishing all sorts of crazy writings from Lewis SNP  Press Officer 'Dr' David 'Dave' Wilson. There was no news as such in the paper and sales plummeted.

The current duo of The Rt Hon Brian Wilson CBE and Murray MacLeod took control of the paper in 2021,  Murray as editor with Mr Wilson as editor-in-chief,  or editor-at-large, whatever the designation may be. The turnaround has been remarkable. 

These guys really put their backs into it but,  sadly,  they are terrified of both the Free Church and local Free Church-supporting SNP voters so that the paper takes no political stance at all.  Wilson and Murray never forget the power of the Free Church in Lewis - look how the theologians  catapulted Free Church elder, the late Donald Stewart MP,  into Westminster in 1970 - but that was a long time ago. For Wilson and Murray, though, the Grey Lubianka on Kenneth Street remains far too close for comfort.

In other words, we don't really know where the Gazette stands on anything of consequence.  It's a pity.