A daily newspaper has begun its 200th birthday celebrations by reproducing an article written by its founding fathers.

The Scotsman has announced it is beginning a year-long series of celebrations marking its bicentenary, which began with an eight-page supplement to mark St Andrew’s Day.

It reprinted its Prospectus, which set out the ambition and values of the title, as part of the supplement.

The prospectus was first published in 1816 ahead of its inaugural edition in January the following year.

The Scotsman has also announced a series called 200 Voices, which aims to find 200 people who have played a major role in Scotland.

During the bicentenary year, The Edinburgh-based title will be showcasing the best of its history in a series of special editions, and will be looking to the future by bringing a host of new contributors to the publication from a wide range of backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of modern Scottish life.

Editor Ian Stewart said: “Today is a very significant milestone in the history of The Scotsman newspaper, and the special supplement published in today’s paper gives a taste of the history that has passed since our first edition on 25 January 1817.

“Marking the occasion with this special supplement is the perfect way to kick off celebrations, as we look forward to showcasing the best of The Scotsman’s past editions, and also begin the search for 200 new voices to bring to our pages to better reflect the vibrancy of modern Scotland.”