Special Collections

Ayr Burgh Records
The Burgh Records are now being held at the Ayrshire Archives Centre, under the terms of Charge and Superintendence from the Scottish Record Office. This collection contains many of the official documents generated by and sent to the Burgh Council and dates back to the times of William the Lion, King of Scotland.

The records contain charters from Robert 1, King of Scotland; documents from the time of the Cromwellian occupation of Ayr in 1650s, and a letter from Professor Simpson, the inventor of chloroform from 1842. There is a complete list of the Burgh Records at the Scottish and Local History desk.

There are certain conditions which must be adhered to when using the Burgh Records. Users are asked to sit at an assigned desk and only one volume or document can be consulted at a time. A pencil must be used. Special appointments are not necessary to view the Burgh Records.

The Burns Collection
The poet Robert Burns was born in Alloway on 25th January 1759 and his birth is still celebrated throughout the world today. The Burns Collection is held in the Scottish and Local History Library. This collection can only be consulted in the library. The lending library has some volumes available for loan.

The collection contains copies of a wide selection of the editions of the work of Robert Burns. This includes his poetry, songs and letters. We also hold a wide variety of critical works, biographies and works on the literature of Scotland in the time of Robert Burns. There are also newspaper cuttings about Burns and his life and works, as well as some editions of his work in other languages. Please ask staff at the desk if you wish to use this collection.

The Galt Collection
John Galt was a novelist and writer who was born in Irvine, Ayrshire on 2nd May 1779. The Carnegie Library holds a small specialist collection of his works. His most important works are:

Annals of the Parish (1821), The Ayrshire Legatees (1820), The Provost (1822)
He also wrote extensively in the periodicals of the day, and we hold bound volumes of his work in these publications.This small collection holds many editions of his works as well as an element of critical works. These books are available for reference use only.