The records include a prisoner photograph album, providing pictures of over 2,000 inmates and gives researchers an opportunity to explore the story of Scotland’s largest and most infamous prison.

Available on the website Scotland’s People, users can explore the construction of the prison itself, and uncover the stories of people who spent time in Barlinnie.

HMP Barlinnie was built to replace eight small prisons across Glasgow city and the west of Scotland. Glasgow’s rapid population growth in the 19th century meant these existing facilities were increasingly rundown and overcrowded. 

Major General Thomas Bernard Collinson, the architect and engineer to the Scottish Prison Department, was called up to produce plans for Barlinnie prison. The original drawings consisted of four accommodation blocks which were four-stories high and could house 200 prisoners.

Jessica Evershed, the NRS archivist, said: “Prison records are an excellent resource for social history research. You may even track down your own relatives in these records, and – in some cases – find a photograph of your ancestor.

“These photographs are a fantastic resource for researchers. The Scotland’s People website now allows you to put faces to names in a way that isn’t possible for other records. While Barlinnie prison did hold some people convicted of serious crimes, most prisoners were serving short sentences. The most common entries are for petty offences such as minor thefts and drunkenness.”