A group of weekly newspapers are to regain their own dedicated editors following a clutch of appointments by Trinity Mirror.

The publisher’s Scottish subsidiary Media Scotland has named 12 new editors for individual weeklies that were previously part of its Scottish and Universal Newspapers division.

The new restructure will see six regional editors overseeing 15 titles, each with their own editor.

Group editor Alan Woodison said: “Every town needs a strong, vibrant local newspaper – and every newspaper needs an editor. For the first time in a long time, our readers will have both.”

Those on the move include John Rowbotham, who takes over his home-town newspaper the Stirling Observer after 30 years at the Hamilton Advertiser.

A new editor of the Advertiser will be announced in due course.

Allan Rennie, Media Scotland editor-in-chief said: “We know from talking to readers and advertisers that the local titles were strong and well respected in their circulation areas.

“Each paper needed an individual to act as a figurehead, both among the staff and in the wider community. We already had good people who could do the job – and so finding editors wasn’t difficult.

“I am looking forward to working with them all in growing Media Scotland at all levels of the business.”

Media Scotland was created in January 2012 when Trinity Mirror merged the Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail with sister company Scottish and Universal Newspapers.

The full list of new title editors is as follows:

John Rowbotham – Stirling Observer
Amanda Graham – Lennox Herald
Cheryl McEvoy – Ayrshire Post
Craig Robertson – Kilmarnock Standard
Lorraine Howard – Irvine Herald
Gordon Robertson – Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser
Marjorie Kerr – West Lothian Courier
Bob Mitchell – Wishaw Press
Louise Reilly – East Kilbride News
Kenny Smith – Rutherglen Reformer
Jonathan Menzies – Blairgowrie Advertiser & Strathearn Herald
Iain Pollock – Galloway News

Remaining as regional editors are:

Alan Woodison – Ayrshire Post, Kilmarnock Standard and Irvine Herald and group editor of all the former Scottish and Universal Newspapers titles
John Hutcheson – Paisley Daily Express
John Rowbotham – Stirling Observer and Lennox Herald
John Murdoch – Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser, West Lothian Courier, Wishaw Press, East Kilbride News and Rutherglen Reformer
Alison Lowson – Perthshire Advertiser and Blairgowrie Advertiser & Strathearn Herald
Kenny Barr – Dumfries & Galloway Standard and Galloway News