page_title: Robert Leighton (bishop)
section_title: Leighton Library
hierarchical_section_title: Robert Leighton (bishop) / Leighton Library
caption_attribution_description: English: The Leighton Library, Dunblane. The oldest private library in Scotland. Built to house the books of Robert Leighton, Bishop of Dunblane (1611-1684). A collection of 4,500 books from 1505-1840 in 80 languages.
context_page_description: Robert Leighton was a Scottish prelate and scholar, best known as a church minister, Bishop of Dunblane, Archbishop of Glasgow, and Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1653 to 1662. He was "noted for his Christian piety, his humility and gentleness, and his devotion to his calling".
context_section_description: Leighton was a learned scholar, with wide-ranging interests. His legacy remains today in the Leighton Library (or Bibliotheca Leightoniana), which is the oldest purpose-built library in Scotland.  It contains a collection of around 4000 volumes and 78 manuscripts from the 16th to the 19th century, and is founded on the personal collection of Leighton, who bequeathed some 1500 books to Dunblane Cathedral. A library building was erected between 1684 and 1688 in order to house the books for the use of the local clergy. From 1734 the library became one of the first subscription libraries in Scotland. The collection covers a variety of subject areas, including history and politics (particularly 17th century), theology, medicine, travel, and language.
  Some of the collection was originally owned by Newbattle and was stored at the Old Manse, but it is now held in its entirety at The Cross, Dunblane. The catalogue of contents is now available to academics and researchers through arrangement with Stirling University.
caption: The Leighton Library, Dunblane
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