Housed in one wing of the Museum of the Isles building, the Clan Donald Centre Library has one of the best reference collections in the North West. It covers all aspects of Scottish culture and history, especially that of the Highlands, as well as natural history, topography and biography.

Visitors to Armadale are welcome to browse the impressive collection of over 7,000 books. Find out more about the history of Skye or of the clans. Read about emigrant families or study Gaelic poetry. Identify that bird or wild flower you have just seen. Or read in depth about the topics covered in the Museum. Make use of the genealogy research service to look for your ancestors. Or find more information about Clan Donald.

Archive collections held here include Lord Macdonald’s estate papers. Charters and land grants, rent lists, correspondence, estate maps and financial accounts. These papers provide a framework for local history research into Skye and North Uist. They cover the period 1542-1949 but mostly relate to the 19th century.

The Library has an extensive collection of maps relating to Skye and the Highlands, including early printed maps and manuscript estate maps.

Of particular note is the Jacobite collection, a comprehensive collection of books and pamphlets published from the late 17th century onwards, which give an illuminating insight into the history of the Jacobites. Several items from this collection are on display in the Museum of the Isles.

The nearby Gaelic college, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, UHI, has an extensive library, which complements the Clan Donald collections.