National Library of Scotland
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.
Located at George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, the Library’s main building contains a visitor centre which offers a range of facilities including an exhibition area, café and shop. By registering for free visitors can access the George IV Bridge reading rooms and explore our rich collection of resources. These include rare historical documents, music, maps and manuscripts.
The Library is home to one of the world’s largest map collections including landscapes, town plans, and railway maps and the Bartholomew Archive. The Map Collection is located at our Causewayside building in Edinburgh.
The Library has an access centre at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. This is the home of our Moving Image Archive and sound collections. Visitors to the centre can also access the Library's digital resources.
Go online to explore our digital resources, seach our catalogue and plan your visit at www.nls.uk.
The opening times for the reading rooms, exhibition space, café and shop at George IV Bridge Edinburgh are:
Monday: 09:30 – 19:00
Tuesday: 09:30 – 19:00
Wednesday: 10:00 – 19:00
Thursday: 09:30 – 19:00
Friday: 09:30 – 17:00
Saturday: 09:30 – 17:00
Sunday: Closed
Admission free. Disabled access via wheelchair lift.
Contact Information: George IV Bridge
Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
Scotland
Getting there by railway:- From Waverley Station, Edinburgh, walk west along Princes Street for one block to the Mound. Walk up the Mound, cross over the Royal Mile and continue along George IV Bridge for 30 metres.