Perth and Kinross Council Archive

Visit us

The Archive Service is situated on the first floor of the AK Bell Library and has space for four to six researchers. You do not need an appointment, but it is helpful to get in touch before you visit with details of your research interest and any records you would like to consult. This will allow staff to prepare records for you in advance and make best use of your visit time.

We ask all Archive users to follow our Search-room Guidelines to help preserve the archives for future generations. Please have a look at these before you visit.

Some records have access restrictions due to data protection restrictions or because they are too fragile to handle without causing damage. The Archive catalogue normally identifies records with access restrictions and staff will also let you know.

Archives are covered by copyright law. However, most records can be copied for personal study or educational use, except those which are very fragile or have copyright restrictions. If you require copies for any other purpose, you will need to get permission from the copyright owner - Archive staff can help with this but cannot do it for you. You can make copies using your mobile phone or camera, or you can ask Archive staff to make copies for you. There is a small charge for both services, you will find details in the Fees and Charges section below. If you take your own copies, you must follow our guidelines for self-service photography.

Research service

We are always happy to give advice about using our collections and can undertake quick catalogue and record checks free of charge. If you have an enquiry, you can contact us by phone, e-mail or post. Please provide as much relevant information as possible, to make best use of our time.

For enquiries which take longer than 20 minutes, a research fee of £35 per half hour will be charged. We will let you know if your enquiry is likely to incur a charge before we begin your research and will provide an estimate of the likely time and costs. Where enquiries involve reproduction, this will incur an additional cost. Further details about our charges are given in the Fees and Charges section below.

Fees and charges

Access to the Archive is free, but there are charges for making copies of records and for staff-facilitated research over 20 minutes.

Research

£35 per half hour, £60 per hour (first 20 minutes free)

Copying material

The Archive Service looks after unique and fragile collections. Copying of material is subject to copyright regulations and is only permitted if it will not cause damage to the collections. We no longer supply photocopies, but offer self-service photography and other alternatives - please see below for details.

Self-service photography

Researchers may photograph documents using their own cameras or mobile phones, subject to the condition of the records and copyright regulations. For the safety of the records, hand-held scanners and cameras with detachable lenses are not permitted. Please note, self-service photography is not available for planning decision notices - for further details please see Planning and Building Control Records, below. Self-service Photography Licenses can be purchased at the following costs:

1 Image - £1.80
1 Day - £15
1 Week - £30
1 Month - £60
1 Year - £150.00

Copying undertaken by staff

High resolution images are digitised at 300dpi for documents and 600 dpi for photographs and illustrations. Low Resolution images are digitised at 72 dpi. Where digital images already exist, customers will be charged the 'supply' cost only; where no digital image exists, customers will be charged the 'new photography' and 'supply' charges. Images for publication will also incur a Licence Fee.

New high resolution photography (up to A3) - £30 per item
New low resolution photography (up to A3) - £6 per item
New photography (over A3) - Price on application. Minimum charge £45.00
Supply of high Resolution digital image - £45 per image
Supply of low Resolution digital image - £3 per image

Planning and building control records

Copy of planning or building control decision (reference provided) - £52
Planning or building control application search (no reference provided) includes 1.5hrs research plus copies of decision notices and building warrant reference numbers - £140.

Collecting Policy

The Archive Collecting Policy outlines our collecting interests, including our statutory responsibilities, the types of records that we collect and how we acquire them. We have two broad collecting areas:

Records of Perth and Kinross Council and its predecessors.
Records of people, families, estates, societies, organisations, institutions, industry and business which relate to Perth & Kinross and are of legal, historical or cultural significance. We are particularly keen to add records from minority communities and young people.

We do not collect records that relate to areas outside Perth and Kinross but can often direct you to a more appropriate local authority or specialist archive. We do not usually collect printed material or photographs unless they form part of an archive collection or relate to collections already held in the Archive. The Local & Family History Service is the more appropriate place for this type of material. Culture Perth and Kinross' Museums Team also collects photographic material alongside museum objects and works of art.

Depositing records

We are always pleased to consider new collections to add to the Archive. If you have material that you think may be of interest, please contact us anytime via email or call us during opening hours. We will be in touch to discuss the details with you and arrange a convenient time for deposit. Please do not bring material into the Archive without an appointment. We need to carefully manage incoming collections and ensure that an Archivist is available to oversee this.

If we accept your collection, we will ask you to sign a deposit agreement giving us authority to look after it. Our Terms and Conditions of Deposit explains more about this process and how your records will be managed and cared for.

Archive Collection Guides

Our Archive Collection Guides are a great first step in finding out what kinds of records we hold. Most of the guides were created several years ago so do not contain information about our most recently deposited records. If you don't see what you are looking for, please contact archive staff who will be happy to check more recent deposits.

Summary of holdings

Our Summary of Holdings gives an overview of all the Archive's collections. We have also prepared a guide to the most useful Family History Sources and a series of geographical guides called '... through the Archive' which describe what we hold for different areas. The below links open PDF documents.

Community collections

The Archive holds a large number of collections created by local people, organisations and communities. To help you find the collections most useful to your research, we have created summaries within popular themes. The below links open PDF documents.

Official records

The Archive looks after the historic records of Perth and Kinross Council and its predecessors, spanning over 800 years. They cover all aspects of our history, including local politics, education, health and welfare, trade and industry, roads and bridges, buildings and more.

We have prepared a brief history of these organisations and a summary of the records that we hold for each. The below links open PDF documents

Friends of Perth and Kinross Archive

The Friends of Perth and Kinross Archive was established in 2000. It was started by local researchers who wanted to support the Archive and create opportunities for more people to learn about their history and culture.

Members enjoy two newsletters each year, an annual programme of talks and outings, and volunteer their time supporting a wide range of cataloguing and outreach projects in the Archive.

Membership of the Friends is open to anyone and costs £15 per year.

If you would like to join or find out more about the group, contact the Membership Secretary or complete a Membership Form and return it to the above email or to the Archive at the AK Bell Library.

Talks

The Friends of Perth and Kinross Archive organise an annual talk programme which brings people together to share their interest in local history.

Talks are held from September to May in the AK Bell Library, York Place, Perth, PH2 8EP.

They are free to members and £5 for non-members.

You can find out what's on by visiting the Perthshire Box Office website.

The Friends produce two Newsletters each year which contain articles about the history of Perth & Kinross, especially research arising from the Archive.

Over the years, many members of the Friends have contributed articles to the Newsletter and we welcome new submissions for consideration.

If you wish to submit an article, please email friendspka@culturepk.org.uk.

Volunteer

The Friends is run by a committee of volunteers. We are always pleased to welcome new people to help run the group. If you would like to volunteer your time, please contact the Membership Secretary.

Friends' members also volunteer in the Archive. Archive volunteers help to catalogue and re-package the records, create finding aids and exhibitions, and help out with open days, fairs and conferences.

Local and Family History Service

We hold a vast collection including books and pamphlets, newspapers, maps and plans, photographs and postcards, and more! We also have a wide range of family history resources for anyone tracing their ancestry from the local area.

If you are interested in using these collections you can visit in person or ask staff to do research on your behalf. You will find further details about this in the Visit Us and Research Service sections.

To help plan your research, you can also access our online Library Catalogue.

Last modified on 02 April 2026

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