An overview of some of the exhibitions and displays held at the National Library of Scotland since 2003. These exhibitions are displayed in chronological order of when they were held.
Wish you were here: Travellers’ tales from Scotland, 1540 to 1960
An exploration into the development of Scottish tourism over 400 years.
1 June to 31 October 2003.
Scotland's secret war
Exploring the extraordinary roles that ordinary Scots played during the Second World War.
8 July to 16 October 2005.
In the footsteps of Isabella Bird: Adventures in twin time travel
An exhibition showing the photographs taken by Professor Kiyonori Kanasaka retracing routes taken by Isabella Bird in the 18th-century.
28 October to 27 November 2005.
Sale of the centuries: A celebration of shopping in Scotland
An exhibition looking at the changing nature of shops and shopping in Scotland from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
December 2005 to February 2006.
The new Scots
Photographs of Scotland's diverse Asian communities by Herman Rodrigues.
10 March to 22 May 2006.
Birds of a feather: Audubon's adventures in Edinburgh
Discover the experiences of 19th-century American wildlife artist John James Audubon during visits to Scotland's capital.
4 July to 15 October 2006.
Fonn's Duthchas: Land and legacy
A touring exhibition that celebrated aspects of Highland cultural life, past and present. It explored the relationship between land and people.
January to December 2007.
Tea and tigers: Stories from Scotland and South Asia
An examination of the historic relationship between Scotland and India.
5 July to 5 September 2007.
Crime Scene Edinburgh: 20 Years of Rankin and Rebus
Ian Rankin looked back on 20 years with his fictional alter ego, Inspector Rebus.
24 October 2007 to 13 January 2008.
Local heroes: The art of the graphic novel
Exploring the development of comics and graphic novels over the past century, and contributions made by Scots to this.
4 April to 1 June 2008.
Imprentit: 500 years of the Scottish printed word
Celebrating 500 years of printing in Scotland and its impact today.
27 June to 12 October 2008.
Zig-zag: The paths of Robert Burns
A travelling exhibition of items from the National Burns Collection.
7 November 2008 to 1 February 2009.
Scots music abroad
Exploring Scotland's influence on music around the world.
6 March to 9 May 2009.
Original Export: Stories of Scottish emigration
Uncovering the experience of Scottish emigration over the past 300 years through both personal letters and advertising brochures.
26 June to 11 October 2009.
Curtain up: 40 years of Scottish theatre
Celebrating the achievements of Scottish theatre from the 1970s to 2010.
19 December 2009 to 3 May 2010.
A swing through time: golf in Scotland
Coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship, this exhibition charted the social history of golf in Scotland.
18 June 2010 to 20 March 2011.
Building the Bell Rock Lighthouse
Robert Stevenson's great engineering achievement.
12 January to 28 February 2011.
'Alice in Wonderland'
Lewis Carroll's delightful tales about Alice's adventures.
18 March to 2 May 2011.
'The virtuous infidel': David Hume, 1711 to 1776
Celebrating the Scottish philosopher's 300th birthday.
5 May to 28 June 2011.
Banned books: Censorship of the printed word
Spotlighting the history of censorship in five central themes.
24 June to 30 October 2011.
'The key of the universe': Scotland and Darien, 1695 to 1707
The story of the ill-fated Scottish colony in the 1690s.
1 July to 31 August 2011.
Scottish working people's history
Workers' efforts to improve labour and social conditions.
2 September to 31 October 2011.
The Bible in English
Marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.
2 November 2011 to 8 January 2012.
Beyond Macbeth: Shakespeare in Scottish collections
Shakespearean treasures and exploring what Shakespeare has meant in Scotland across the centuries.
9 December 2011 to 29 April 2012.
Scott's last expedition
Captain Scott's Antarctic Expedition of 1910 to 1913.
12 January to 25 March 2012.
'It's life Jimmy, but not as we know it': Science fiction in Scotland
A look at 30 years of Scotland's science fiction.
28 March to 30 June 2012.
Going to the pictures: Scotland at the cinema
Explore the story of cinema in Scotland for the past 120 years.
15 June to 28 October 2012.
American independence
Revolution and its role in the founding of the USA.
4 July to 16 September 2012.
Grimms fairy tales
Celebrating 200 years of Grimm's fairy tales.
19 September to 18 November 2012.
The Dandy
The art and history of a favourite British comic.
21 November 2012 to 3 February 2013.
Putting Scotland on the map
Telling the story of one of Scotland's most influential map making firms, John Bartholomew & Son.
7 December 2012 to 7 May 2013.
Women of science
The legacy of some remarkable Scottish women scientists.
1 March to 30 April 2013.
Celebrating Iona
Marking two major anniversaries for Scotland's sacred isle.
3 May to 7 July 2013.
Picturing Africa: Illustrating Livingstone's travels
A study of David Livingstone's illustrations of Africa and their influence and impact.
14 June 2013 to 3 November 2013.
200 years of 'Pride and Prejudice': From Jane Austen to zombies
A look at one of the greatest novels written in English.
10 July to 15 September 2013.
A tiny universe: Miniature books in Scotland
Little marvels from specialist Scottish book publishers.
18 September to 17 November 2013.
Pop up!: Movable and pop-up books
Some of the most delightful items in the national collections.
20 November 2013 to 19 January 2014.
Wha's like us?: A nation of dreams and ideas
Celebrating what Scotland has given the world through an A to Z of achievements.
13 December 2013 to 18 May 2014.
Robert Burns' Glenriddell manuscripts
The greatest collection of Burns' handwritten work.
23 January to 30 March 2014.
Behind the lines: Personal stories of the First World War
Explore the First World War through the experiences of Scots.
27 June to 11 November 2014.
Voices from the Commonwealth
A sample of the diverse nature of the Commonwealth.
9 July to 7 September 2014.
Walter Scott's 'Waverley'
The story behind Walter Scott's first novel, 'Waverley', published 200 years ago.
10 September to 16 November 2014.
Beyond Endurance
James Wordie and Shackleton's Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
20 November 2014 to 18 January 2015.
Game of Crowns: The 1715 Jacobite rising
Learn the story of the 1715 Jacobite rising.
10 December 2014 to 10 May 2015.
Yankee cries and Rebel yells
Commemorating the end of the American Civil War.
21 January to 29 March 2015.
The Forth Bridge: Building an icon
Exploring the construction and opening of the Forth Bridge.
1 April to 21 June 2015.
Lifting the lid: 400 years of food and drink in Scotland
Learn about 400 years of Scottish food history and its relationship with food and drink.
12 June to 8 November 2015.
Hugh Buchanan paints the John Murray Archive
New watercolours celebrate original literary treasures.
25 June until 6 September 2015.
'The 39 steps'
Celebrating the centenary of John Buchanan's most famous novel.
10 September to 22 November 2015.
The book beautiful
Some of the most beautiful books ever printed.
26 November 2015 until 13 March 2016.
'Plague!': A cultural history of contagious diseases in Scotland
Explore 700 years of contagious diseases in Scotland and how society reacted to this.
11 December 2015 to 29 May 2016.
Robert Adam: The beautiful spirit of antiquity
The work and influences of the architect Robert Adam.
16 June until 18 September 2016.
'You are Here': A journey through maps
Explore our world through maps and learn about their purposes and histories.
22 July 2016 to 17 April 2017.
Jessie Kesson
A collection of treasures marking the birthday centenary of 20th century Scottish writer Jessie Kesson.
22 September to 25 November 2016.
'Sun pictures' and beyond
Scotland and the photographically illustrated book, 1845 to 1900.
30 November 2016 to 26 March 2017.
Blackwood's Magazine at 200
Celebrating 200 years of Edinburgh's influential periodical.
30 March to 2 July 2017.
Enduring eye
Frank Hurley's photographs of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the men of the 'Endurance Expedition', alongside items from the Library's polar collections.
16 June to 12 November 2017.
Images of India
Visually stunning material from the South Asia collections.
6 July to 20 August 2017.
Creative lives
The extraordinary partnership of Kulgin Duval and Colin Hamilton.
24 August to 15 October 2017.
The Reformation: What was it all about?
How Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation.
19 October 2017 to 14 January 2018.
The international style of Muriel Spark
A celebration of the literary and personal style of Dame Muriel Spark.
8 December 2017 to 13 May 2018.
'The Scotsman': 200 years of a Scottish newspaper
'The Scotsman': 200 years of a Scottish newspaper.
18 January to 8 April 2018.
Illustrating Scottish poems
Exploring 18th-century Scottish poetry book illustrations.
12 April to 17 June 2018.
Youngwummin: Scots women in the First World War
Young people interpret Scottish women's First World War experiences.
21 June to 29 September 2018.
Strike for Freedom
The life and anti-slavery work of Frederick Douglass (1818 to 1895) and his family.
4 October 2018 to 13 February 2019.
A Better World? Scotland after the First World War
Explore life and society in Scotland following the end of the First World War.
16 November 2018 to 27 April 2019.
25 years of the Elizabeth Soutar Bookbinding Competition
Award-winning decorative bookbindings.
21 February 2019 to 13 April 2019.
Byron's 'Don Juan'
The story of Lord Byron's 'Don Juan' on the 200th anniversary of its publication.
18 April to 27 July 2019.
Northern Lights: The Scottish Enlightenment
Discover Scotland's contribution to the flourishing intellectual artistic and scientific progress of the Enlightenment.
21 June 2019 to 18 April 2020.
Back to the future: 1979 to 1989
Revisiting the 1980s through the Library's collections.
1 August 2019 to 12 November 2019.
At the Water's Edge: Photographs from the MacKinnon Collection
Past scenes from Scotland's seas and waterways captured on camera.
16 November to 15 February 2020.
Allan Ramsay
The work and influences of Allan Ramsay, one of Scotland's most celebrated writers.
18 February to 16 May 2020.
Her century: Scottish women on film
Explore overlooked moments in the lives of Scotland's 20th-century women.
20 July to 20 September 2020.
The Eye of a Stranger: Henrietta Liston's travels
The story of Henrietta Liston - the wife of a British diplomat - and her travels in the Ottoman Empire.
10 July to 6 November 2021.
Petticoats and Pinnacles: Scotland's pioneering mountain women
Reveal how women have overcome physical and social barriers to spend time in the mountains.
10 July 2021 to 28 May 2022.
Sir Walter Scott and the Historical Novel
Sir Walter Scott's role in the development of the historical novel.
12 November 2021 to 28 May 2022.
'The Heart of Mid-Lothian' comics
Works by Edinburgh College of Art students inspired by Sir Walter Scott's 'The Heart of Mid-Lothian'.
12 November 2021 to 28 May 2022.
Pen names
Explore how ideas of gender, genre, privacy, reputation, authorship, and authenticity influence authors' use of pen names in the past and today.
8 July 2022 to 29 April 2023.
Sgeul | Story: Folktales from the Scottish Highlands
Discover the magical Gaelic folktales collected by John Francis Campbell of Islay (1821-1885).
9 June 2023 to 20 April 2024.
Encountering political texts
Learn about what makes a text political from the 17th century to today.
8 December 2023 to 20 April 2024.
Open Shelves: Japanese fiction
A look at Japanese novels, film, and manga from our collections in the General Reading Room.
5 January 2024 to 3 March 2024.
Open Shelves: Empowerment through arts and crafts
Explore how arts and crafts can be used to empower different people through our collections in the General Reading Room.
29 March 2024 to 31 October 2024.
Images of Italy (1480 to 1900)
This display explores how visual representations of Italy developed from the 15th to 19th century.
16 May 2024 to 2 November 2024.
Open shelves: Women in art
This display explores how feminism's paintbrush has evolved over the decades.
4 November 2024 to 27 January 2025.
Sgeilpichean Fosgailte: Gàidhlig anns an Leabharlann | Open Shelves: Gaelic in the Library
This display highlights a selection of books and publications that span the breadth of Gaelic publishing.
17 February 2025 to 16 April 2025.
Renaissance: Scotland and Europe 1480 to 1630
Learn about Renaissance-era Scotland, from astronomy to 16th-century music and colourful calligraphy. Explore how writers today use the Renaissance for inspiration.
21 June 2024 to 21 April 2025.
Tusitala: Pacific perspectives on Robert Louis Stevenson
An exploration of how the Pacific and its people impacted the writing and creative legacy of one of Scotland's most famous writers, Robert Louis Stevenson.
8 November 2024 to 10 May 2025.