I AM honoured to write to you, our readers, today as I mark my first week as editor of The Herald. It is a privilege to have taken charge for what I am confident will be a hugely exciting chapter in the newspaper’s rich and long-standing history.

As a priority, I am determined to maintain the trust you expect from The Herald, while bringing an energy and enthusiasm which will be mirrored in our content – in print and online.

We face challenging and eventful times in Scotland right now, socially and politically, and there are many ways for Scots to consume their news, with countless platforms to choose from. It is of upmost importance to me that The Herald remains your trusted and unbiased choice, offering readers not only agenda setting news stories, but insightful comment and analysis on the biggest topics of the day.

Under my leadership, The Herald will also continue to lead the way with our sport and business coverage, offer unrivalled magazine content, and hopefully make you smile and reflect on other aspects of life with uplifting, unique content written by some of the country’s most talented journalists.

I come to The Herald with broad experience, most recently having edited Scotland on Sunday.

Many years ago, I graduated from the University of Glasgow, from where I went on to work across the country on weekly, evening and national titles, in reporting, features and newsdesk roles. I have countless years of experience in the print industry, but have also been at the sharp end of the transition to digital.

I have a passion and belief in the importance of a strong and confident Scottish media and believe The Herald has long been at the forefront of this and will continue to be so under my leadership.

As editor, my team can expect me to champion it at every turn. Last week, The Herald topped eight categories at the Scottish Press Awards; an enviable achievement yet just a snapshot of our outstanding work.

But what do I ask from you? I ask for your feedback and your honesty on what we are getting right or wrong. Please get in touch with me directly at catherine.salmond@newsquest.co.uk.

Finally, thank you for your continued support.