National Library of Scotland
The collections at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh span centuries, housing millions of books, manuscripts, music and maps.
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.
Visitor information
Address
George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH1 1EW
01316 233700
Opening times
Reading rooms are open to existing and new library card holders. Please visit the National Library of Scotland website for full opening times.
Visitor information
The more you see, the more we do.
The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.