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National Library of Scotland
A black and white photo of people sitting at a desk reading and then standing on the desk posing.

Discover the history of the National Library of Scotland at George IV Bridge as we celebrate our 100th birthday.

2025 marks the centenary of the National Library of Scotland. Visit new displays and listen to an audio tour to discover the history of the Library over the past 100 years.

Audio tour and printed trail

Explore the Library at George IV Bridge with an audio tour and accompanying printed trail. The tour will guide you through the building to discover fascinating facts, amusing tales, and surprising secrets, featuring voices from the Library's past and present.

Listen to the audio tour

Centenary mural

See our new mural which has been designed by students from Edinburgh College to mark our 100th birthday. The mural is displayed in the Library's entrance archways.

Staircase display

Discover archival material which documents the design, construction and opening of the Library's flagship building at George IV Bridge in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town. This single case display is accompanied by historic photographs of the Library.

Treasures exhibition

Visit new displays in our Treasures exhibition which tell the story of how we were founded, and see two of our nationally-significant founding documents – the Glenriddell Manuscripts and the Order of the Massacre of Glencoe.

Images reproduced with permission from Charles Main.

Centenary appeal

Find out about how we're celebrating our history and how we can ensure the National Library of Scotland continues to thrive for the next 100 years.

National Library of Scotland that says "Celebrating 100 years".

You may be interested in

Outwith – National Library around Scotland

Display
13 September 2025 to 20 June 2026
An open book with its pages flying up.

Open Shelves: Centenary special

Display
13 June to 12 September 2025
Books on shelves as part of the Open Shelves display.

Dear Library

Exhibition
20 June 2025 to 18 April 2026
Yellow background with a sticker on it that reads "Dear Library".