Scottish Office Air Photographs Unit (formerly Air Photograph Library)

Scope and Content

Vertical and oblique aerial images of locations throughout Scotland plus associated sortie plots and administrative records.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Scottish Office Air Photograph Library was created in 1948 to hold a duplicate print copy of all the aerial photography covering Scotland that was created during the National Air Photograph Survey - created by the Royal Air Force during Operation REVUE - immediately after the Second World War.

Access Information

Open. Accessible via search room and Paid Search Service.

Other Finding Aids

Catalogue in search room and on website provides access to digital copies of the original sortie plots.

Custodial History

The Scottish Office Air Photograph Library was created in 1948 to hold a duplicate print copy of all the aerial photography covering Scotland that was created during the National Air Photograph Survey immediately after the Second World War. It subsequently acquired further declassified and released RAF aerial photography of Scotland, Ordnance Survey aerial photography and commercial aerial survey photography flown to service government contracts. The Library was transferred to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) in 1993, and to Historic Environment Scotland in 2016.

Geographical Names