The National Archives of Scotland is an agency of the Scottish government, headed by the Keeper of the Records. The archives consists of 3 buildings located in Edinburgh, 140 staff, and 8 websites. There are 2 Divisions: Record Services Division and Corporate Services Division. The Record Services Division includes government records, court and legal records, collection development. The Corporate Services Division includes accomodation services, finance and administration, information and communications technology, conservation, and reader services. The archives' holdings consists of 70 km of records, ranging from the 12th-21st century. Subjects include government, business, railway and private records, wills, valuation rolls, maps, and photographs.
The tour began in the General Register House. In the Historical Search Room, the public is allowed to use the room for research. The West Register House, opened in 1995, houses the conservation department. The archives' recent developments include an online catalog, 'virtual volumes' located in house, access to Scottish wills (1500-1901), digitzation of the Church of Scotland Records and Scottish Documents website, registers archive conversion project, valuation rolls project, and the Scotlands People Centre. This special collection includes Robert Burns' will and prison registers with photos. The Register of Deeds is located on the 1st floor. It was redesigned 2 years ago. A fireproof system was built, making the walls and floors of stone, rather than wood. Included in the library is a statue of George III, sculpted by Anne Seymour Damer.
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