It inspired scenes in the final Harry Potter film and starred in a TV programme and now a 105-year-old Perthshire printing press is close to being returned to working order.
More than 20 years after a newspaper last rolled off David Philips Printers Cossar Press in Crieff, the impressive machine is being lovingly restored ahead of its placement in the National Museum in Edinburgh.
The 10-tonne press, the only working example still in existence, was removed piece-by-piece from the Comrie Street premises last March and taken to a Clydeside warehouse close to the former home of its inventor, Tom Cossar, of the Govan Press.
Over £6,000 has been raised by the Scottish printing Archival Trust for the second phase of the project to bring it back to working condition.
Patrick Mark, chairman of the Scottish Printing Archival Trust, said: “This is a unique example of innovation within Scotland’s printing industry and an important part of our industry’s heritage.
“The trust is determined to see this project to a successful conclusion and is pleased with the progress made.”
The Cossar was built into the room in Crieff in which it spent its working life, printing local paper the Strathearn Herald every week from 1907 until March 28 1991.
The machine featured in an episode of Dr Finlay’s Casebook. It rolled out an edition of the fictional Knoxhill and Tannochbrae Advertiser.
The producers of the Harry Potter films studied it to construct a replica for the final film in the boy wizard series, The Deathly Hallows.
Alison Taubman, principal curator at National Museums Scotland, said: “We are delighted that the project has reached this stage. The Cossar press is a significant part of Scotland’s printing heritage, and we look forward to its restoration to full working order.”
Fundraising is ongoing for the project by downloading a leaflet at scottishprint-archive.orgor at mydonate.bt.com/charities/scottishprintingarchivaltrust.