Everyone at the WS Society mourns the passing of James Mackay, Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT, aged 99, whose death was announced on Tuesday. Truly a titan of the law and a wonderful man. We send our sincere condolences to Lady Mackay and all her family.

Good news, aho! Great news, aho! This was such a fun project to work on: www.wssociety-heritage.co.uk/2026/05/08/c... You can find the Signet Library's Tincklarian Doctor pamphlets here: sign.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha... @signetlibrary.bsky.social #IGiveLight

We're delighted to announce the completion of a cataloguing project led by Dr. Kit Baston to remap & record our unique and important collection of pamphlets and ephemera by the great Georgian Edinburgh eccentric William Mitchel, the "Tincklarian Doctor." www.wssociety-heritage.co.uk/tincklariand...

The entrance hall of the Signet Library from a 1925 Country Life photograph newly donated to the Library. The decoration scheme was put in by architect Robert Rowan Anderson in 1908 - in colour in Patrick Adam's 1920 painting on the right - which would endure into the 1960s.

A real treat this week, a one-off photographic exhibition at @signetlibrary.bsky.social by @lixmount.bsky.social for @rpshistgroup.bsky.social This selection of our photographic collection featured our Hill & Adamson Album, negatives of Penicuik House, albums from the Roughead Collection plus..

This super Directory and Voter’s Guide to Edinburgh and Leith compiled by William Sinclair in 1893 features a beautiful interpretation of the Arms of Leith, although the real treats are the advertisements! @signetlibrary.bsky.social

Signet Library followers will be familiar with the work of our conservator, @johockey.bsky.social , who has created a new website bringing together both her Signet Library research and conservation work - it's at johockey.substack.com

Up to 11 | Substack

(Keeping a record of research and conservation work at the Signet Library since 2019 - an online CV). Click to read Up to 11, a Substack publication. Launched 4 days ago.

johockey.substack.com

An hour away from Jen and Ben's Mixed Doubles Curling Bronze Medal match - we've a new online exhibition on the literature of Scotland's Ain Game - see our new blogpost about it at www.wssociety-heritage.co.uk/2026/02/10/s...

Still many more stories to be told, and thankyou to @lixmount.bsky.social for putting this all together and presenting it so beautifully!

The Signet Library@signetlibrary.bsky.social · 7mo ago

We recently finished the research phase of our project on the archive of John Watson's Institution funded by the @oldedinburghclub.bsky.social Jean Guild awards. Dive in here: www.wssociety-heritage.co.uk/2026/02/02/t... Research by @kgbaston.bsky.social and @johockey.bsky.social

New on the blog: 'The Curious Case of the Missing Curling Stone' - a Tale from the Session Papers of @signetlibrary.bsky.social: www.kgbaston.co.uk/2026/02/05/t... #TalesFromTheSessionPapers A curling stone has been missing for three years, but now it's been found. Or has it?

We recently finished the research phase of our project on the archive of John Watson's Institution funded by the @oldedinburghclub.bsky.social Jean Guild awards. Dive in here: www.wssociety-heritage.co.uk/2026/02/02/t... Research by @kgbaston.bsky.social and @johockey.bsky.social

Dr. Baston's paper on the Bibliotheca Polonica was one of the highlights of 2025 at the Signet Library as part of our early-year lecture series.

Kit Baston@kgbaston.bsky.social · 7mo ago

New on my blog, 'The Bibliotheca Polonica at the Signet Library, 1821-1962': www.kgbaston.co.uk/2026/01/3 part of @signetlibrary.bsky.social's annual online exhibition: www.wssociety-heritage.co.uk/1890-2/

The BBC's "Who Do You Think You Are" Magazine new November 2025 issue's "Gem from the Archive" features the Signet Library's @oldedinburghclub.bsky.social funded project on the records of John Watson's Institution, research undertaken by @kgbaston.bsky.social @johockey.bsky.social

Before and after of this cracker from the Trials Collection at the @signetlibrary.bsky.social

And yesterday, this account of the trial of those involved in the Battle of Bonnymuir, during the Radical War of 1820. Part of the spine was detached, so a very satisfying fix! Part of the Trials Collection at the @signetlibrary.bsky.social www.maggiecraig.co.uk/2020/04/05/t...

A small display of decorative books, maps, manuscripts and photographs for an academic society visiting the Signet Library this afternoon.

Signet Library graffiti left by craftspeople from the 1850s into the Great War period behind the cases in the Upper Hall. The names and signatures of painters, glaziers and related trades in paint and pencil on the unpainted timber surface.

Today's bookpost: the final three volumes of Sir John Baker's magisterial Seldon Society edition of the notebooks of the great English lawyer Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634), shown beside a selection of Coke's works from Signet Library collections.

A spotlight on this book on ‘Auld Ayr and some of its Characters’ by the prolific artist Robert Bryden in 1897. Bryden was granted the title of Royal Engraver in 1899. The engravings are such expressive portraits. From the Burghs and Shires Collection at the @signetlibrary.bsky.social

A progress report on our John Watson's Institution archive project, funded by the fantastic Old Edinburgh Club Jean Guild grants scheme. We are on the hunt for a portrait - can you help?

Old Edinburgh Club@oldedinburghclub.bsky.social · last yr.

Update on the @signetlibrary.bsky.social Project on the John Watsons archives, funded by an OEC Jean Guild Grant, is on our website. We are also trying to find this painting of Vans Hathorn which used to hang in the school. Anyone know? #johnwatsons #watsons oldedinburghclub.org.uk/john-watson-...

Alexander Mill, "Prince of Indexers", assistant librarian at the Signet Library for over sixty years (1873-1935), with his grandson c. 1930. The last here to remember David Laing, Mill's index to Scottish Court of Session Papers is still in constant use, the only one of its kind.

The Society of Procurators in Perth are celebrating their bicentenary. Writer to the Signet Robert Macduff Duncan tells the story today for Scottish Legal News: www.scottishlegal.com/articles/our...

Our Legal Heritage: Perth lawyers celebrate 200 years of Society of Procurators

Robert Macduff-Duncan WS recalls the two-century-long history of the Society of Procurators and Solicitors in the City and County of Perth. On 8th July 1825, the Society of Procurators in Perth was fo...

scottishlegal.com

This copy of the Scottish Licensing Act of 1903 at the @signetlibrary.bsky.social today, with some very on topic advertising.

Our upgrade is complete (and we have also resolved issues accessing our catalogue via the new Firefox v.140 and this is now back to normal).

The Signet Library@signetlibrary.bsky.social · last yr.

A quick heads-up that our online catalogue will be offline for an upgrade on Wednesday morning (9th July) - all being well, we'll be back by lunchtime.

A quick heads-up that our online catalogue will be offline for an upgrade on Wednesday morning (9th July) - all being well, we'll be back by lunchtime.

A quick heads-up that our online catalogue will be offline for an upgrade on Wednesday morning (9th July) - all being well, we'll be back by lunchtime.

To commemorate the 297th birthday of the great Scottish architect Robert Adam, his drawings - amongst his last - for a new Signet Library in Royal Mile premises for the College of Justice in Edinburgh.

This book of instruction for newly qualified legal clerks in 1727, discovered yesterday by @lixmount.bsky.social at the @signetlibrary.bsky.social has several detailed pages on how to ‘write well’. Anyone who has toiled over a page of Secretary Hand might find it of interest..

Congratulations to all involved in the superb new Aberdeen Student Law Review, especially to our former WS Summer Scholars Christiana Cameron, Valentina Menendez Ron and Matthew Paton. Lady Dorrian writes that it “demonstrates the strength of legal scholarship and analysis at the University”

This may be the only surviving copy of this 1770s proposal for woollen manufacture in Dundee: we can't trace more, and given that this predates jute in Dundee, we wonder if a digital facsimile might be of interest to e.g. the Verdant Works, the universities and city library, the McManus Gallery etc?