Innerpeffray Library, Subscription library in Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Innerpeffray Library is a public lending library near Crieff in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, widely regarded as the oldest of its kind in the country. It occupies a stone Georgian building from the 18th century, set on a hillside above the River Earn.
The library was founded in 1680 by David Drummond, 3rd Lord Madertie, and was first housed in the loft of the nearby St. Mary's Chapel. The current building was constructed in 1762 to give the growing collection a permanent home.
The library still holds handwritten borrowing records from the 18th and 19th centuries, listing the names of local readers and the books they took home. Leafing through these pages gives a direct sense of who used the library and what they chose to read.
The library opens from March through October and is easiest to reach by car, as it sits in a rural setting outside Crieff. Weekday visits tend to be quieter, which makes it easier to browse the books and speak with the staff.
Among the roughly 2,000 volumes is a Bible that belonged to the Marquis of Montrose and another from 1540 with woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger. Holbein was court painter to King Henry VIII, which makes this copy a rare example of his work as a book illustrator.
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