RSGS collections and information about them are available online, and in Perth and Glasgow.

Fair Maid's House Visitor Centre and RSGS HQ, Perth

Most of the collections are held at the RSGS's visitor centre and headquarters in Perth. Books and journals of general interest, including travel books, biographies, and bound copies of the Scottish Geographical Journal, are available for public reference in the Explorers’ Room of the Fair Maid’s House. A small selection of other items, including maps, photographs, artefacts and archives, is always on display during normal visiting hours. Polar books and journals are shelved in the Shackleton Room at RSGS HQ, accessible on request.

Andersonian Library, Glasgow

Over 50,000 individual books and academic journals are deposited with the University of Strathclyde's Andersonian Library. They are catalogued in the Library’s online database, and are available for public reference, with free access for RSGS Members as well as University of Strathclyde students and staff.

Maps and Images Database (MID)

A catalogue of around 70,000 maps, books, images and other items is available on our Maps and Images Database, hosted by the University of Edinburgh. This facility allows you to search for items by geographical location, title, author, publisher, date, etc. MID includes thumbnail images of around 21,500 photographs of which, largely thanks to the HLF-funded Images for All project, we have high-resolution digital scans (all RSGS copyright). For any of these images, we can supply good-quality paper prints or electronic files with specific reproduction rights. Please contact us with details of your project to enquire about costs, terms and conditions.

Enquiry Service

Due to limitations of space and money, only a small part of the collections is on public display at any time. However, a small team of expert volunteers is available on a restricted basis to help with enquiries about and access to specific items: please contact us and we will do what we can to help. Please be aware that it can take more than a week to respond to enquiries, and it will take longer to arrange a special visit. There may be a small charge for some enquiry services (based on time and, if appropriate, reproduction and copyright fees), which we will tell you about in advance.