Over 20,000 visitors have seen the Last Letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots

The treasured item is on loan from the National Library of Scotland until 26 April 2026

To mark its second birthday, Perth Museum today announced that the Last Letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots has been viewed by more than 20,000 visitors, likely more people than have ever seen the letter in its nearly 450-year history.

The letter, believed to be Mary’s last, was written to her brother-in-law in France on 8^th February 1587, proclaiming her innocence and declaring herself a Catholic martyr. Her execution at Fotheringhay Castle was to take place six hours later.

The letter is rarely seen out of storage and only leaves the vaults at the National Library of Scotland in very special circumstances, due to the unique conservation requirements of this precious piece of history.

The next three weeks mark the final chance the public have to experience the last hours of Scotland’s tragic queen in an immersive setting — and the last opportunity to see this remarkable letter in person this generation as part of the National Library of Scotland’s OUTWITH programme.

To date, Perth Museum has welcomed over 430,000 visitors and attracted many awards and nominations, including being the only Scottish finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025, and winning the Scottish Property Awards Small Regeneration Project of the Year 2025, the Museums Association Museums Change Lives Championing Social Justice Award 2024, and the Scottish Design Awards Best Civic Brand Identity 2024.

Photos by Bart Masiukiewicz.