A reshuffle at the Fife Free Press Group has seen three of its titles get new editors.

Iain Muirhead has been appointed editor of the East Fife Mail after previously editing sister title the Glenrothes Gazette.

He succeeds Graeme Scott who is now editor of the Fife Herald, replacing David Scott.

Iain, (36), began his journalism career in 1989 with DC Thomson, which publishes The Courier and The EveningTelegraph, which are based in Dundee.

Since 1993 he has worked for Strachan and Livingston, publishers of the Fife Free Press Group, which is in turn owned by Johnston Press.

After working as a reporter and chief reporter for the Fife Free Press he became editor of the Glenrothes Gazette in 2001.

Iain joined the East Fife Mail this week after putting his last Gazette to bed the previous day.

His new paper, the Mail, has a circulation of around 12,500 – almost double that of the Gazette.

Iain said: “It also has a larger pagination so is a bigger project.

“It’s a good move for me as it’s my home town newspaper and I grew up with it.

“When I first joined Strachan and Livingston I was asked where I saw myself in ten years – and I said editing the East Fife Mail!

“It’s a great new challenge and the paper has a very good team of journalists and advertising staff.”

Now comfortably in the editor’s chair, Iain says he hopes to be able to put his own mark on the paper, but doesn’t forsee making any major changes.

He said: “There won’t be a root and branch revamp – the paper is doing well and I will be aiming to build on that success.

“I have a lot of respect for what Graeme has done with the paper.”

Iain admits it was hard to leave the paper where he took up his first editorship.

He said: “It was really the ideal starting point for me. The paper has a small enthusiastic staff who made my life easier and hopefully it will be the same here.

“The Gazette was my first baby so it was a wrench to leave but I am delighted to be editing my home town paper.”

Graeme, who in his new role he will be responsible for the Fife Herald and its sister title, the St Andrews Citizen, began his career at the Forfar Dispatch in 1977 before joining the Fife Free Press where he worked as sports editor and chief reporter.

After ten years he took up his first editorship – like Iain, at the Glenrothes Gazette.

A year later he moved to the East Fife Mail, which he edited for ten years.

He said: “Jointly, the Herald and the Citizen sell a few more than the East Fife Mail, but it’s not a huge change.”Both are long established titles and it will be a challenge to take those on.”

A new editor for the Glenrothes Gazette has yet to be appointed.

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