Welcome to The Signet Library

The Signet Library in the centre of Edinburgh’s old town is synonymous with prestige and Georgian elegance. Steeped in history, the building, with its lower and upper libraries, was completed in 1822 in time for the celebrated visit to Edinburgh of King George IV who described the upper library as “the finest drawing room in Europe”. The Signet Library continues to be owned by The Society of Writers to Her Majesty’s Signet (also known as The WS Society) – an association of Scottish lawyers and one of the oldest professional bodies in the world. The Society’s origins lie in the 15th century as the “writers” of documents sealed with “the Signet”, the private seal of the Scottish Kings – hence “Writers to the Signet” or “WS”.