National Library of Scotland

Scotland’s largest library houses a vast collection encompassing a wide range of formats, including printed works, maps, photographs, sound recordings and moving images.

Scottish history

As well as a huge collection of books and periodicals, the library is also home to significant manuscripts and letters, from the last correspondence by Mary Queen of Scots before her execution to the Glenriddell Manuscripts, a collection of Robert Burns’ poems and songs.

Cartography collection

With around two million cartographic items, the library's map collection is one of the largest in the world. Covering all parts of the globe, it ranges from early atlases and sheet maps to current digital mapping, as well as gazetteers, cartographic reference books and map ephemera.

Sound and vision

The library houses an extensive music collection spanning wide range of genres from all time periods both in manuscript and sound recordings. Similarly, film buffs will be interested to know the library is also responsible for Scotland’s Moving Image Archive, with over 46,000 films and videos, provides a window into the country’s moving image history.

Exhibitions and events

The visitor centre within the main building features rotating exhibitions showcasing unique items from the collection. The library also regularly hosts talks, workshops, and other events, providing opportunities to learn from experts and delve deeper into specific topics.

Please note, the National Library of Scotland is not a lending library, you may need to register and/or make an appointment to view items from the collection.