"Inverary is a charming place--the beauties various--and the whole plan majestic…We had herrings in perfection…The Loch-Loman--Ben-Loman--Domiquith--and Arsenhoe--with Hamilton and Douglas houses--are by much too long for description by letter.--We paraded to Edinburgh last Friday in a post coach…and dined at Lord Chief Baron's…” Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho: An African, to which are Prefixed, … Continue reading Retracing Sancho’s Steps: Countertenor Visit to the National Records of Scotland
Doors Open Days 2025 at General Register House
National Records of Scotland (NRS) is taking part in Doors Open Days (DOD) again this year, on Saturday 27th September. The aim of DOD is to give everyone the opportunity to explore some of the most architecturally and culturally significant buildings in Scotland, places which are not usually open to the public or which usually charge an entry … Continue reading Doors Open Days 2025 at General Register House
The illusive life of plasterer Thomas Clayton Junior
As General Register House celebrates its 250th anniversary, now seems an opportune moment to shed light on those who helped to create the building and its interiors. Thomas Clayton Junior (1743-1793) was the plasterer responsible for decorating the famous central dome as well as numerous other walls within the building. Frequently confused with his father, … Continue reading The illusive life of plasterer Thomas Clayton Junior
Doors Open Days 2024
This year, National Records of Scotland (NRS) marks the 250th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of General Register House (GRH); the first purpose-built public records repository in the British Isles. It’s fitting that in this celebratory year, we will take part in our first in-person Edinburgh and East Lothian Doors Open Days … Continue reading Doors Open Days 2024
Part 3 – Tytler’s rise and fall
Following our post 'Part 2 - Tytler and the Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon' from last week, we continue the story of James Tytler. Aerostation plate from the third edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.Image credit: http://www.archive.org. Public domain The success Tytler found in launching and piloting his fire balloon in August 1784, was sadly not to … Continue reading Part 3 – Tytler’s rise and fall
Scotland’s pioneering Olympic stars
The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris is within touching distance and as Olympic fever mounts, we look back at Scottish athletes who have broken records in previous Games. In Paris 1924, it was Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell (16 January 1902 – 21 February 1945) who stole the headlines, breaking the Olympic and world … Continue reading Scotland’s pioneering Olympic stars
Part 2 – Tytler and the Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon
This is part two of our profile of James Tytler, the first person in Britain to fly by hot air balloon. Part one is available here on Open Book. Tytler was not alone in his enthusiasm for the possibilities offered by air balloons as a means of human conveyance and by the early 1780s fully-fledged … Continue reading Part 2 – Tytler and the Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon
The sky’s the limit: James Tytler and balloon-mania in the archives – part 1
Should you have been on Edinburgh’s Princes Street, a little before noon on Monday 19 July 1784, you would have been greeted by an extraordinary sight. The elegant and imposing Register Office (now General Register House), the first purpose-built public records repository in Britain and Ireland and still the home of the National Records of … Continue reading The sky’s the limit: James Tytler and balloon-mania in the archives – part 1
Register House: the search for the site, 1760-1769
Register House, as it stood in 1790 after the completion of the facade, rotunda and half of the wings. Attributed to John Brown (1749-1787). (National Galleries Scotland, CC by NC) When the foundation stone of the new Register Office or Register House was laid on 27 June 1774, it was the culmination of a long … Continue reading Register House: the search for the site, 1760-1769
250th anniversary of General Register House: we’re going to need a bigger cake
Hidden in plain sight, General Register House (GRH) is one of the most prominent landmarks on Edinburgh’s New Town Princes Street, yet many do not know the significance of this building. Designed to house the records of the nation, it continues to hold and provide access to some of Scotland’s most essential and precious documents. … Continue reading 250th anniversary of General Register House: we’re going to need a bigger cake
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