Come to Scotland's national library and see treasures from the collections including our copy of the Gutenberg Bible and manuscripts in the hand of Robert Burns. We also have reading rooms, a café, gift shop, and a contemplation space for those who need a break, some quiet time, or a space for praying. 

To mark its 100th birthday, the National Library of Scotland presents a special exhibition, Dear Library. Made in collaboration with partners across the country, this love letter to libraries will intrigue, energise and galvanise you. Browse bookshelves in an open reading room filled with recommendations from people around Scotland, including some well-known faces. See libraries in popular culture, protest banners and badges, vintage film footage and more...

Dear Library

Horror! Madness! Secrets! Call of Cthulhu returns to the Edinburgh Fringe, once again played live on stage. A star team of investigators faces unspeakable terrors in a live game of Call of Cthulhu, the foremost tabletop game of horror and mystery. In 1920s Edinburgh, they are the only thing standing in the way of diabolical cults and cosmic monsters from beyond space! Guided by Keeper of Arcane Lore Mike Mason, they'll be seeking answers among tomes of forbidden lore in the National Library of Scotland itself.

Call of Cthulhu – Live in the Library

We're marking the centenary of the National Library of Scotland in 2025 with Dear Library, an exhibition celebrating the power of books and the value of libraries across the country. Inspired by the exhibition’s Book That Shaped Me feature, we’ve invited a selection of Scottish writers to read from their own work alongside the books that inspired them on their journey. For six lunchtimes during festival season we’ll host readings from two writers each day. Discover some of Scotland’s contemporary authors in these intimate story sessions, and maybe find a new favourite of your own.

Dear Library Story Sessions 

A tour of the National Library of Scotland in 300 book spines. Underneath the streets of the Old Town are 50 miles of the library’s shelving, storing half of our 60 million items. But if you think this is a story of books, magazines, and manuscripts, you are only halfway there. This is a story about you. This slideshow of hundreds of book spines not only reveals the broad and deep collecting practices of the National Library of Scotland, but also tells the story of who we are as a species.  

National Library of Scotland

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