Father's Day Tours

Finding a present or an activity for Dad on Fathers’ Day can be a bit of a dilemma, but an answer can be found in Innerleithen. Robert Smail’s Printing Works would like you to bring your Dad along to be put through the first day of his apprenticeship. Dads who pass will be rewarded with their own customized Letterpress poster as a souvenir of their day.

This National Trust for Scotland property is a fully operational Victorian Printing Works, where the craft of hand setting type and printing letterpress is still practiced today, just as it has been on this site since 1866.

Visitors to the works will hear about the fascinating archive and business history in the Office, see the waterwheel turning which powered the works for over 50 years, find out what skills you required to pass the first day of your apprenticeship in the Caseroom and see an impressive range of printing presses in operation in the Machine Room. Tours of the works take approximately 1.5hrs so please allow plenty of time for your visit.

Smail’s has a wonderful gift shop stocking a range of letterpress goods produced on the premises as well as a wide range of quality and quirky gift ideas to suit all tastes and pockets.

This is a place for lovers of industrial heritage, and this Fathers’ Day, could be the answer to the problem of what to give Dad!