Visit Our Search Room
RCAHMS can provide you with a rich source of information on the built environment of Scotland. In the Search Room you can gain access to our drawings, photographs and manuscripts, with dedicated members of staff on hand at all times to provide assistance.
All visitors are encouraged to make an appointment before their visit, but drop-in visitors are still welcome. The following items are on open access:
- over 700,000 boxed photographic prints
- over 24,000 library books
- over 60 series of journals and periodicals
- over 3,700 maps
There is a new system for consulting stored collection items - Archive Request Forms need to be completed for this material, up to a maximum of 10 items per request.
The retrieval of requested collection items is at set times throughout the day:
10:30, 13:00, and 15:00.
Appointments are always required for consulting the National Collection of Aerial Photography.
To consult uncatalogued material an appointment must be made at least five working days in advance.
Opening Hours
- Monday - closed (pre-booked group visits only)
- Tuesday - 9:30am to 5pm
- Wednesday - 9:30am to 5pm
- Thursday - 9:30am to 5pm
- Friday - 9:30am to 5pm
We are closed on these dates:
- April 2012: Friday 6th and Monday 9th
- June 2012: Tuesday 5th (Diamond Jubilee)
- November 2012: Friday 30th (St Andrews Day)
- December 2012: Monday 24th to Monday 31st
- January 2013: Tuesday 1st, Wednesday 2nd
Car parking is available for visitors to the rear of the building and RCAHMS is fully accessible for visitors and staff with disabilities.
Group Visits
RCAHMS welcomes group visits and these are free of charge. Since our Search Room is now dedicated to pre-booked group visits on a Monday, this is the best day for larger groups of 20-25 people. We can also host visits from Tuesday to Friday but with a reduced number of 14 people.
Group visits last approximately 1.5 hours and include an introduction to the work of RCAHMS, examples from our collections that relate to your area or subject of research, a tour of the Search Room and Print Room, and a demonstration of our online resources.
We give talks and lectures to societies and groups on the work we do, and on specific subject interests. We also produce travelling exhibitions, many of which can be loaned for display at local venues. Please contact us to find out more information or to make a booking.
Contact Details
RCAHMS, John Sinclair House, 16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh EH8 9NX
Tel: +44 (0)131 662 1456
Fax: +44 (0)131 662 1477
Email: info@rcahms.gov.uk
