Our history

Before the National Library of Scotland came into being, there was the Library of the Faculty of Advocates.

Founded in the early 1680s and officially opened in 1689, the Advocates Library in Edinburgh played a role in collecting and preserving knowledge. Thanks to the Copyright Act of 1710, it was entitled to claim a copy of every book published in Britain. This was a major step in building a comprehensive collection.

Over the years, the Library continued to grow, adding books and manuscripts through both legal deposit and purchases. By the time the National Library was established formally by an Act of Parliament in 1925, the Advocates Library had already laid much of the groundwork. Read more about the evolution of the Library in our timeline

Since 1999, the Library has been answerable to the Scottish Parliament and funded by the Scottish Government.

We remain one of only six legal deposit libraries in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and are governed by a board of management.

Celebrating 100 years

This year, we're marking a century of preserving and sharing Scotland's stories with the world. Founded in 1925 through the generous gift of Sir Alexander Grant, the National Library of Scotland continues to thrive thanks to supporters like you.

In 2025, we're marking this milestone with exciting initiatives:

• Love Libraries campaign: Shine a light on the importance of libraries and celebrate your local library.

• Dear Library exhibition: This exhibition will explore the profound impact of books and libraries on our lives.

• Outwith programme: Bringing treasures from our collections to communities across Scotland, connecting them with their cultural heritage.

Celebrate with us and be part of our next chapter.