The collection consists of records for c.5000 wells and springs in Scotland mostly lodged by drillers in compliance with the Water Act. These include data on well construction, water yields, water levels, water chemistry and well lithology. The collection is organised on the One-Inch Geological Sheet basis. Catalogues for wells in Central Scotland were published between 1963 and 1969. The BGS Single Onshore Borehole Index (SOBI) provides a partial digital index to the records.

The BGS archive photograph collections consists of three sub-collections, The British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS) photograph collection, Keyworth Library archive collection and the Archive Collection held in National Geological Records Centre (NGRC), Edinburgh. The British Association for the Advancement of Science photograph collection of prints was deposited on permanent loan from the BAAS, the photographs are of important historical interest and range in date from c. 1890 to 1940's. They are mostly field photographs of the UK and Ireland. The negatives were destroyed during the Second World War, the prints are held in the Library at Keyworth. The Keyworth library archive is an interesting assorted collection of historical photographs held in the Library Archive. Collections include subjects in the UK and overseas. Most are donated from external sources. The NGRC Edinburgh collection consists of photographs, mostly prints, held in the Scottish Land Survery Archives collection in Murchison House. They are mostly of historical interest and includes pictures of former staff.