Scottish Provincial Press, publishers of 15 newspapers in the north and north-east of Scotland, has announced it is to invest £1m in its Dingwall printing centre.

A new colour tower is to be added to the existing Goss press at the company’s Highland Web Offset plant, where all of its newspapers, including the Highland News, North Star, Lochaber News, The Inverness Courier, The Northern Scot, Forres Gazette, Ross-shire Journal, Strathspey and Badenoch Herald, The Northern Times, John O’Groat Journal, Caithness Courier, and Banffshire Journal, are printed, along with other contract work.

The project will result in a major increase in the colour content of the Scottish titles, and the new tower should be operational before the end of the year.

Managing director Roy Fox said: “This investment will provide a 50 per cent increase in colour capability and a 40 per cent increase in overall press capability which will allow us to meet the demand for additional colour content within our own titles.

“It will also enable us to pitch for more contract work from outwith the Highlands, thereby creating further highly skilled job opportunities in Dingwall.”

The £3m press centre was opened by Prince Charles five years ago.

Managing editor Nick Hunter said: “All our titles are doing well on the circulation front with several like the Caithness Courier, Lochaber News, Strathspey and Badenoch Herald, Northern Times and Forres Gazette achieving the highest audited circulation levels in their history and all are close to, or over, 100 years old.

“There is no doubt that people in the north and north-east of Scotland are buying local papers like never before. With dailies in the doldrums, it is clear that local news sells papers.

“It is heartening for us all that the company have decided on this further investment to allow our business the opportunity to grow even further.”