Edinburgh City Archives

Gateway to the history of Edinburgh: 1130 to yesterday

Edinburgh City Archives is responsible for the official records of the City of Edinburgh Council and its predecessor authorities.  It also collects private historical records of businesses, societies, other organisations and individuals which relate to the history of Edinburgh and its hinterland.  Its aim is to permanently preserve and make the records available to the public.

These archives form part of the unique memory of Scotland's Capital City and can shed light on many aspects of Edinburgh's past.  Among other things they can help us to understand the social, economic, political, judicial and religious characteristics of Edinburgh life down the centuries.  They exist in different formats, mainly ink on paper but also vellum, parchment, in photographic and increasingly in digital forms.

If you have an interest in the history of Edinburgh and its environs, its buildings or its people then the City Archives may well hold useful records and, in some cases, perhaps the only source of information to assist you with your research.

Records are available for consultation by all members of the public, free of charge, in our public searchroom.  

*Important Notice* Please note that from Tuesday the 16th February 2010 the public searchroom will be open three days a week. You will be able to visit us on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The opening hours remain 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-16:30.

Please navigate through the following links to find out more information on our services and collections:

Access

Visiting the Archives

Depositing records

Research

Collections/Indexes

News and Events

Volunteers

Business Recovery Plan

Useful contacts/links

FAQs

Our web pages are currently under development and so more information will be added frequently. Please look at our 'News' section for any important updates.