The collection contains letters, 1838-76, to Sir James John Reid, Chief Justice of the Ionian Islands; letters, 1822-75, to Lady Reid; letters, 1859-1907, to their two sons, Robert T. Reid, Earl Loreburn, and John James Reid, advocate. There is also a folder of miscellaneous, mostly legal, documents concerning members of the family and dating mostly from the early 19th century.

The collection also includes a commonplace book, dated 1839, of Sir James John Reid and a song book compiled by John James Reid, dated 1863.