Plaque Hunting

Plaque: David Laing

David Laing was an Edinburgh bookseller, antiquary and, from 1837-1878, librarian of the Signet Library. The leading expert on early Scottish books and manuscripts, he amassed a huge library, an impressive collection of old master drawings (left to the Royal Scottish Academy), other art works, and – tracked down from many sources – a vast collection of important letters, papers and manuscripts which he bequeathed to the University of Edinburgh. He edited many important older Scottish texts. From 1845, he lived at East Villa near the foot of James Street, Portobello, Edinburgh. One wing of his house, now much altered, survives as 1a Laing Terrace.