The Special Collections Reading Room will be closed 10am to 1pm on Wednesday 16 September. It will then reopen until our usual closing time of 7pm.

National Library of Scotland

School visits

Last updated
3 September 2026
Estimated reading time
2 minutes

We offer different visiting options to suit a range of student needs.

Self-guided visit

These sessions work particularly well for Higher and Advanced Higher students. They can be paired with our online school workshops to give a more in-depth picture of what teachers and pupils can find at the Library.

Choose a visit to one of our three sites in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

As part of your visit, our staff will:

  • Give you a brief welcome

  • Offer help with completing the membership process

  • Provide a tour of the study areas, including the Discovery Room and General Reading Room.

Students can then continue on to have independent study time in the Reading Rooms.

Students will need to join online before visiting so they can order items to look at during their visit. Watch our how-to guides on YouTube for information on how to request items.

In persons are limited to 14 people per booked visit. Fill out our booking request form to arrange a school visit to the National Library for 2026 to 2027.

Library tours

These tours are for students at all learning levels.

A member of staff will give a brief welcome and a tour of the building. Classes could also:

  • See historic treasures from the Library's collections on display

  • Explore our temporary exhibition spaces

  • Learn about the history of the building

  • Learn about conservation processes or unique collection items

Tours last around 1 to 1.5 hours, and can be paired with a school topic or theme by request.

You can book a Library tour for your class through our booking request form.