National Galleries of Scotland

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery’s Library comprises some 50,000 items including auction and exhibition catalogues, periodicals, monographs and reference books. The collection exists to support the work of curators, educators, researchers and students.

The primary focus of the collection is the history of Scotland and Scottish society, with particular strengths in biographies of Scots and Scottish portraiture.

The collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century auction catalogues contain unique annotations, which provide evidence of the Gallery’s early collecting policy. The periodical collection focuses on Scottish history, art history and photography with holdings dating back to the late nineteenth century.

Access

The Library is open by appointment, Monday to Friday 10am-1pm and 2-4.30pm. Please telephone 0131 624 6407 or email pginfo@nationalgalleries.org to make an appointment.

First-time visitors will be asked to show some form of ID such as a passport or driver’s licence.

There is wheelchair access to the Library via a lift.

WiFi is available in the Library.

Groups of up to fifteen are welcome to visit the Library, visits should be pre-booked at least four weeks in advance.