Perth and Kinross Archives is based on the 2nd floor of A K Bell Library, along with the reference and local studies collections,

Comprising records which date back over 800 years, Perth and Kinross Archive looks after records that have been created by Perth and Kinross Council and its predecessors. It also looks after collections that have been created by local families, individuals, estates, societies, communities, organisations and businesses. By collecting, preserving and making available the historical records of the region, the Archive is helping to secure the cultural heritage of Perthshire and Kinross-shire.

Most of its records are paper and ink documents, but they also include parchment, vellum and photographs. It has maps, plans, bundles of letters, boxes of contracts, volumes of minutes, personal diaries, legal documents, registers, official files - the list is endless.

It is possible to come and study the records in our search room. Indexes and descriptive lists to each collection are provided, as well as some source lists and summaries. They are all designed to help people find the records they need. And of course, the Archive staff are always there to help and advise.

The Archive's collections range from municipal and other official records to collections created by individuals, businesses and organisations, all of them relevant to the history and development of the region.

They include records for all the area's small burghs, the City and Royal Burgh of Perth, as well as county records, those for the district councils, Tayside Regional Council and Perth and Kinross District Council. It also holds other kinds of official collections such as some police and constabulary records.

The Archive's collections also include gifts and deposits. These collections have been gifted or deposited indefinitely to the Archive by individuals, families, businesses and organisations concerned with preserving our cultural heritage.