Isabella Bishop wrote hundreds of letters to her sister, Henrietta Bird, and her publishers, John Murray. Many of these letters are detailed accounts of her travels, the lands she explored and the people she met. The letters document her journeys throughout her life and were used heavily by Bishop to produce her published works about her travels. In addition, the letters contain personal details, such as insights into her health, and her letters to her publishers focus on the publishing process of her works. There are also ten diary letters, detailing the experiences of Bishop when she was travelling in the Middle East.