NRS holds records spanning the 12th to the 21st centuries, touching on virtually every aspect of Scottish life.
We are the national repository for the public and legal records of Scotland. We also have many local and private archives.
We manage, select and conserve these in line with our records policies.
Managing the collection
For all records in our care, we have processes and policies to make sure we effectively manage our collection.
We produce and follow a number of records policies. These guide how we manage, select and conserve our collection.
Our accredited Conservation team monitor and control our physical records. They make sure our records are:
- cared for
- preserved in controlled environments
Our policies, plans and processes were evaluated by the UK Archive Accreditation Panel in 2022. We were awarded accredited archive status. You can read more on the National Archives website.
Accessing our records
Some of our records are available to view in our search rooms.
These search rooms can only be accessed by people that have a reader’s ticket. You can read how to apply for a reader’s ticket.
Everyone who accesses our search rooms must follow the conditions of access.
We have robust security measures to protect our records. Our security measures are regularly reviewed and updated in line with best practice for institutions of our kind and size.
You can request the temporary return of records you deposited with us, by law. You can read more about requesting temporary return of records.
If you have questions
If you have any questions about how we manage our collection, contact us.
Accessing the national archive collection
You can access the majority of the collection through our search rooms.
We make digital records available on platforms such as Scotland’s People.
You can read more about access to records in our public access policy.
