SeeLibraryOld Town

National Library of Scotland

A venerable reference library, which you need membership to access, but it has public exhibitions about literature. "Treasures" is its permanent exhibition. But don't stumble in here mistaking it for Central Library across the street.

Address: George IV Bridge EH1 1EW
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30AM-5PM
Price: Free
Phone: +44 131 623 3700
Website: nls.uk (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Edinburgh/Old Town, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Location and details from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Updated 27 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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SeeLibrary
Advocates Library
The Advocates Library, founded in 1682, is the law library of the Faculty of Advocates, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It served as the national deposit library of Scotland until 1925, at which time through an act of Parliament, the National Library of Scotland Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5.
Built 1689
SeeLibraryOld Town
Central Library
See Edinburgh for how to access. The internet stations are in the Learning Centre, and the building houses Central Lending Library, Central Reference Library, Central Children's Library, Edinburgh and Scottish Collections, Art & Design Library and Music Library. It has a wealth of material for research such as old newspapers and maps, but births, marriages and deaths are filed at East Register House by the bus station in New Town.
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