Time to step into the rich history and culture of Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles or Outer Hebrides). Na h-Eileanan Siar is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The inhabited islands of the Western Isles include: Lewis and Harris, South Uist, North Uist, Benbecula, Barra, Great Bernera, Berneray, Vatersay, Baleshare, North Grimsay, […]
Curators’ Favourites: Alasdair Alpin MacGregor, The Peat Fire Flame
The choice: The Peat Fire Flame Chosen by: Paula Williams, Curator, Maps, Mountaineering & Polar Collections Read or download this book from our Digital Gallery. Welcome to the latest of our fortnightly series introducing some favourites from our collections for you to enjoy reading, all freely available online. The Peat Fire Flame is a collection of folk-tales from the Highlands and […]
Zoom into the Shetland Islands
Collated by Veronica Bell. The Shetland Islands are the most northerly part of the British Isles, lying in the North Atlantic between the British mainland, the Faroe Islands and Norway. The main town, Lerwick, lies only six degrees of latitude from the Arctic Circle.
Pressing forward
At the National Library, we delight in seeing the reactions of visitors to our exhibitions, in welcoming people to our reading rooms, and constantly turning the page on materials that make up the nation’s permanent collection. It’s a privilege to share in the discoveries made by people visiting the Library that help us all to […]
Curators’ Favourites: Reminiscences of Thomas Marshall of Berwick
The choice: Reminiscences of Thomas Marshall of Berwick, (Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1835) Chosen by: Graham Hogg, Curator (19th-Century Printed Collections and Photo-graphs), Rare Books, Maps and Music Collections Read or download this book from our Digital Gallery. Welcome to the latest of our new fortnightly series where we introduce you to some favourites from our collections for you to enjoy reading, […]
Zoom into the Orkney Islands
Collated by Alison Leslie. Orkney, or the Orkney Islands, is a group of 70 islands off the north coast of Scotland. They became part of Scotland in 1469 in lieu of an unpaid dowry from Norway. Today Orkney is best known for its historic sites, the dive sites around the scuttled World War One German fleet, its birdlife, its food and drink, and the North Ronaldsay sheep […]
Curators’ Favourites: R.M. Ballantyne’s Fighting the flames
The choice: R.M. Ballantyne, Fighting the flames (London, 1867). Chosen by: Graham Hogg, Curator (19th-Century Printed Collections and Photo-graphs), Rare Books, Maps and Music Collections Welcome to the latest of our fortnightly series where we introduce you to some favourites from our collections for you to enjoy reading, all freely available online. Read or download […]
Zoom Into Scotland
What is that building? Who is this street named after? Where do those gates lead? With most of us spending more time at and around our homes, we are noticing things we haven’t spotted before. Whether you have lived there for a short time or for years there is always something new to discover. Many of us live away […]
Cine Cycles – women, bicycles and a sense of freedom
Dr Emily Munro, National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive Watch our Cine Cycle video The bicycle has always been a symbol of mobility and freedom but today it is seeing a resurgence in popularity in Scotland. Partly due to concerns around sustainable, carbon-neutral transport, and aided by gradual improvements in cycling infrastructure, increasing numbers […]
Curators’ Favourites: Tours of Scotland
The choice: Tours of Scotland Chosen by: Kirsty McHugh, Curator, John Murray Archive & Publishers’ Collections Read online at the Curious Travellers website Welcome to the third in our blog series where we introduce you to some favourites from our collections for you to enjoy reading, all freely available online. In this blog, rather than focus on a book from our digital gallery, we invite you to explore some of […]