The last three broadsheet newspapers in the Archant stable have this week turned compact.

The Buchan Observer, Fraserborough Herald and Ellon Times all bowed to the will of their readers and the lure of modernisation.

The 72-page "Buchanie" was launched by Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond in front of Archant top brass and around 60 invited guests.

Earlier this year the company commissioned focus groups to gauge opinion from readers and non-readers, which found 100 per cent support for a compact newspaper.

Observer editor Ken Duncan said: "The Buchan Observer is 141 years old, the Fraserburgh Herald is 120, with the Ellon Times the youngest having been created in 1990.

"For many years Buchanie and Herald readers have told us that the newspapers were too big to comfortably handle and digest the wealth of local news properly.

"The excellent and honest feedback we received led us to develop several areas of the titles - most notably in terms of fishing and business within the Buchan Observer."

Ken with the new-size paper

The title only dropped front page public notices in favour of local news four years ago.

Ken added: "As we have told our readers in the first 72-page edition of the compact, the new-look Buchanie may be smaller than the broadsheet, but it's bursting with news, views, and pictures from throughout the area."

The three titles will also share a bumper 16-page motoring pull-out covering the entire north-east of Scotland area.

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