General Register House is the grand neoclassical archive building on Princes Street in Edinburgh, designed by Robert Adam and built between 1774 and 1788 as the home of Scotland’s national records. It is still in use today for preserving and providing access to historic records, and it is regarded as one of the oldest purpose-built archive repositories still serving its original function.
Architecturally, it is one of Edinburgh’s major Georgian landmarks and a Category A listed building. Historically, it is significant because it reflects the city’s New Town development and the growth of state record-keeping in Scotland.
 
Interesting facts...
The impressive domed central space has been used for more than just records. In 1784, while the building remained an unfinished shell, a man named James Tytler received permission to inflate his hot-air balloon inside the structure’s central rotunda, earning him the title of Britain’s first aeronaut.