Edinburgh City Archives

We are the archive service for the Council and its predecessor authorities. In addition to Council records, we also collect records relating to the Edinburgh area and the people of Edinburgh.

The records we collect can be created by clubs, societies, individuals, businesses, and organisations, or by council employees and committees. Our records span from the 12th century through to the present day.

Our collections cover

• education, for example, primary and secondary schools
• commerce and trade, for example, businesses, associations and incorporations
• defence, for example, militias, oaths of allegiance and volunteer regiments
• law and order, for example, municipal courts and policing
• leisure, for example, hobby and sports clubs
• local government, for example, Council, finance, housing, personnel and taxation
• religion, for example, Episcopalian
• social welfare, for example, charities, poor law and social work
• transport and Infrastructure, for example, busses, roads, trams and utilities.

Our aim is to collect, preserve and promote these records and to make them available to the public and other users.

If you have any enquiries about our records, please get in touch and we will do our best to help you.

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