National Library of Scotland

National Library of Scotland review

Founded as recently as 1925 (its functions were previously fulfilled by the Faculty of Advocates Library at Parliament House), the NLS is one of the UK's deposit libraries, entitled to request a copy of every printed item published in the UK and Ireland.

It contains eight million printed books, 1.6 million maps and 100,000 journals, newspapers and magazines, available to view for research purposes here and in the Causewayside Building to those 'requiring material not readily available elsewhere'. Admission is by ticket only, for which ID is required. During the summer and autumn the Exhibition Hall beyond the main door houses small but intriguing exhibitions pertaining to Scottish printing and writing.