What's in the collections

National Library of Scotland (NLS) collections recommended for learning audiences.

Foreign collections
NLS holds collections of foreign language publications covering topics such as history, literature, and politics which may be useful to teachers and students studying languages at secondary level. Languages collected include: Italian, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese.

Curriculum Areas: Modern Language (Standard Grade, Higher, Advanced Higher)

John Murray Archive - Literature
The John Murray Archive contains the manuscripts of some of the greatest names in literature. You can view items from novelists like Jane Austen, Herman Melville, and Sir Walter Scott, as well as poet Lord Byron.

Gaelic
NLS holds a large selection of Gaelic material including the largest collection of late medieval Scottish Gaelic manuscripts in the world, over 3,000 early printed works (including the Ossian collection), and the archives of literary authors. The collections can support the study of Gaelic language, culture, and literature and are available in:

• Rare books
• Leabhraichean tearca Gàidhlig
• Manuscripts

Curriculum Links: Gaelic (Learners) / Gàidhlig (Standard Grade, Higher, Advanced Higher)

Scottish literary manuscripts
We have an extensive manuscripts collection of unique material by and about Scottish authors including Robert Burns, Sir James Hogg, Robert Louis Stevenson, Alasdair Gray, and Muriel Spark. There are also Scots verse collections and holdings of Gaelic material.

The manuscripts pages include information and listings of material we hold.

Curriculum Areas: English (Standard Grade, Higher, Advanced Higher) Gaelic (Learners) / Gàidhlig (standard grade, Higher, Advanced Higher)

Literature and language main page