The contents are as follows.

(i) Letter, 1896, of Herbert Grierson to Mary Ogston, his future wife. (Folio 1.)

(ii) Letters, 1912, of Grierson to his wife describing a tour he made of the Burns country. (Folio 3.)

(iii) Letters, 1942-1943, of Grierson to his daughter Flora, concerning family and personal matters; also two letters, 1942, of Molly Dickins to her sister Flora Grierson. (Folio 11).

(iv) Letters, 1930-1936, undated, of Mary Grierson to her husband. Two letters, circa 1918-1919, describe a visit paid by W B Yeats to the Grierson household. The rest concern personal and family matters. (Folio 61.)

(v) Letters, 1935-1954, undated, from Grierson's daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, concerning family matters. (Folio 89a.)

(vi) Letter, 1844, of Elizabeth Janet Grierson of Quendale, Shetland. (Folio 102.)

(vii) Letters of, and papers concerning the death in South America of, Grierson's sister Lucie, 1911-1917. (Folio 104.)

(viii) Birth certificate, 1866, and marriage certificate, 1896, of Sir Herbert Grierson. (Folio 133.)

(ix) Page of notes in Grierson's hand on the history of his family. (Folio 135.)

(x) Typescript, 1930, of 'Opinions in special case Walter Henry Ogston and others (Trustees of the deceased Sir Alexander Ogston) and others, for the opinion and judgement of the court'. (Folio 136.)

(xi) Newspaper-cutting, 1896, of an obituary of Grierson's father A J Grierson, Quendale, Shetland. (Folio 156.)

(xii) Papers, 1927, relating to the Lockhart Mactavish Trust. (Folio 157.)

(xiii) Copy, 1923, of the will of Joseph James Hargrave, a cousin of Mary Grierson. (Folio 164.)

(xiv) Typescript notes, undated, on the history of the Grierson family. (Folio 168.)