THE owners of The Herald are to launch two new national newspapers next month in an exciting change to Scotland’s media landscape.

Newsquest Scotland is to produce Sunday editions of both The Herald and The National.

The move is in response to reader demand for a seven-day offering of both titles and closer alignment of The Herald brand.

The launch of the Herald on Sunday and the Sunday National will mean the closure of the Sunday Herald.

A souvenir last edition of the award-winning title, which was the only national newspaper to come out fully for independence in 2014, will be printed on September 2. The new titles will be published for the first time the following Sunday.

Newsquest Scotland Managing Director Graham Morrison said: “This is a highly competitive industry and to be successful requires innovation, diversification and investment to ensure we deliver the media and marketing platforms our customers want.

“It has been clear for some time that Herald readers want a 7-day offering with closer alignment of the brand and the title’s editorial values on a Sunday. By launching The Herald on Sunday and extending The National title to seven days a week we are able to give our audience and advertisers a clearer and better choice.”

Editor-in-chief Donald Martin

Donald Martin, Editor-in-Chief of Newsquest Scotland, will edit the new seven-day-a-week Herald.

He said: “This is an exciting time and a fantastic opportunity to produce two brilliant newspapers carefully targeted at their respective audiences.

“The Herald on Sunday will take the best of our journalism and columnists and offer a weekend package unrivalled for the Scottish market.

“Monday to Sunday we will produce outstanding insight, analysis and opinion, brilliant investigative journalism and great lifestyle reads. We will also be careful to ensure that the balance of lifestyle, entertaining and informative reads to news coverage increases significantly across the weekend in line with our readers’ interests and needs.”

Mr Martin on Thursday told staff that The Herald would remain “apolitical” seven days a week.

The National has been strongly pro-independence since its launch in 2014. Editor Callum Baird said: “This move will give our subscribers a genuine seven-day news operation for the first time and ensure that there will be a newspaper which represents the views of nearly half of Scotland every Sunday.”