The true ordering of bees

The National Library of Scotland and The Scottish Bee Keepers Association

This hive of information is quite simply the bee’s knees – like nectar to lovers of all things apiary. Housed in the National Library of Scotland, the Moir Rare Book Collection is one of the very finest collections of rare beekeeping books in the world. It consists of 250 volumes and includes items published as far back as 1525. On long-term loan from the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association it provides a glimpse into the anatomy and life of bees and buzzes with the language of keeping including piping, quacking and tanging.

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If you truly treasure something the best way to show that love is to share it. The Keyhole Collection is dedicated to bringing artwork and artefacts to a new audience. We do this by sharing and collaborating. Working with museums, archives, organisations and stately homes we unearth the quirky and the curious. Images and objects which may have lain unloved and out of sight for centuries can be admired and appreciated again. The stories behind their creation seen through new eyes. The cards we produce celebrating the original work and the history behind it but with a fresh, colourful approach designed to appeal to everyone. So if you are curator or archivist and would like to bring your collection to life and attract new visitors please just get in touch. We also work with families and individuals who own special collections and would like to share these in memorable ways with friends and loved ones. Find out more about how we work and the organisations we work with.