National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
01216233700
Amina Shah
Reginald Fairlie
Designed by Reginald Fairlie in 1934-36, with construction commencing in 1937 and the building completed in 1958 (after work had been suspended during the Second World War). It is an imposing national library in a classical-Modern style with stylised bas-relief and sculptures by Hew Lorimer.
1925
2020
Home to over 24 million printed items, around 100,000 manuscripts and more than two million maps, the National Library of Scotland is a treasure trove of information and a must-visit for all visitors to the capital looking to discover more about Scotland’s history and culture.
The Library is home to one of the world’s largest map collections including landscapes, town plans, and railway maps and the Bartholomew Archive. To learn more about the National Library of Scotland’s special collections of maps, visit here.
The National Library Moving Image Archive also forms part of the Library and is based in Hillington, near Glasgow. The Moving Image Archive has a film and video collection of over 100 years of Scotland’s history.
The National Library of Scotland is now the permanent home for the literary archive of Jackie Kay, one of Scotland’s most celebrated writers and former ‘Makar’ (National Poet).
