Archives, collections and libraries
Unearth Scotland's past on trove.scot
Our archives
Historic Environment Scotland holds archive collections relating to Scotland’s archaeology, architecture, industrial and maritime heritage.
Our libraries
We hold a significant collection of books, manuscripts and more that can be viewed in person in Edinburgh.
How to access our archives, collections and libraries
Find out where you can see our archives online or visit in person, what we can license and more.
Other services and collections
Collections and Applied Conservation
We care for object collections, and work on the conservation of carved stone, metal and paintings across our properties.
National Record of the Historic Environment
We manage records on more than 340,000 Scottish places including archaeological sites, buildings, industry and maritime heritage.
National Collection of Aerial Photography
NCAP is an extensive archive of aerial photography, which covers Scotland and beyond.
Britain from Above
View historic aerial images of Britain taken from 1919 to 1953 and help to identify the locations pictured.
PastMap
Zoom in on this interactive online map to locate Scotland’s archaeological and historic sites.
HLAmap
Compare modern-day land use and past land use across Scotland using this interactive online map.
Dictionary of Scottish Architects
A database providing biographical information and job lists for all architects known to have worked in Scotland from 1660 to 1980.
Retired services
Information on services that were formerly part of our archives offering or have evolved over the years.