Founded in 1580, Edinburgh University Library actually pre-dates the founding of Edinburgh University by three years. Belying its ancient origins the library is today housed in a Basil Spence designed building in the heart of Edinburgh. The collection includes amazing examples of scientific ephemera, medieval and post medieval manuscripts, including Islamic prose and history texts, journal extracts that include excerpts from Charles Darwin’s, ‘The Origins of Species’ and the draft of Mary Queen of Scots and Francis II the Dauphin of France’s marriage settlement.