Journalists past and present have gathered to celebrate a Sunday newspaper’s 30 years in print.

Scotland on Sunday was printed for the first time on 7 August 1988, and its 1,558 issues have since been overseen by a total of 11 different editors.

A special supplement in Sunday’s edition of the Edinburgh-based newspaper, pictured, marked the anniversary.

Yesterday staff involved in producing the early editions of SoS met at the Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh, its erstwhile home, to mark the milestone, before enjoying a drink the Jinglin’ Geordie bar in Fleshmarket Close.

Journalists who have worked on SoS shared the memories of the paper for a feature celebrating the occasion.

Kevin McKenna, who was at the paper between 1990 and 2000 as sports editor and deputy editor, said: “I can say without any doubt that these were the happiest years of my 35-year career.

“I think one of the principal reasons was the sense that your colleagues had become part of your extended family and that we were constantly fighting against bigger and much better resourced rivals and doing something radically different from them.

“The esprit de corps also arose from the relative youthfulness and inexperience of the editorial staff. Most of us were given our chance at an age which all of the other ‘nationals’ would have considered to be too young.

“I have lots of happy professional highlights but probably the most satisfying was working through the night to help produce an eight-page Diana pull-out between 3am and 8am on the occasion of her sad death.”

Current feature writer and columnist Dani Garavelli, who joined the paper in 1997, added: “When I worked as the crime reporter at The Journal in Newcastle, I was obsessed with getting a job at Scotland on Sunday, which seemed to be the newspaper for reportage.

“It took me three or four years to finally wangle myself a staff position, but it did live up to expectations.”