AK Bell Library
7 minute walk from Perth station · Stirling, Central and Fife · Free entry
The AK Bell Library is a historic building on York Place in Perth, Scotland. Originally opened in 1838 as the County and City Infirmary, this impressive ashlar stone structure was later used as a Red Cross hospital and municipal offices before undergoing an extensive £6 million modernization to become a public library in 1995.
Visitors can admire the building's Category A listed neoclassical architecture, which features a symmetrical main frontage and a decorative stone seashell on the roof. The site is named after benefactor Arthur Kinmond Bell and was officially opened by the Duke of Rothesay. Inside the foyer, guests can view "Reconstruction," a large oil painting by local artist Dan Stephen.
The library offers unique resources for exploration, including the Sandeman Room, which houses a storied collection of books. Photography enthusiasts can discover thousands of images of Perth within the W. H. Findlay collection or view albums of Magnus Jackson’s tree photographs. Nearby, the restored historic lodge serves as the home for the Perth and Kinross Archives.
Visitor information
- Place type
- Library
- Good for
- Architecture, Art & galleries, Literature & writers, Local & social history
- Characteristics
- Listed
- Admission
- Free
- Region
- Stirling, Central and Fife
Stations within walking distance
- Perth station — 7 min walk, 0.5 km
Other places near Perth
- St Leonards in the Fields & Trinity — 5 min walk from the station
- Kinnoull Hill and Tower, Perth — 9 min walk from the station
- Perth City walk — 9 min walk from the station
- Perth North Church — 11 min walk from the station
- Perth Leisure Pool — 12 min walk from the station
- Perth Theatre — 12 min walk from the station