Scottish Genealogy

Family History Research

Robert II, King of Scotland

Scotland is a great place to do research because of the wealth of historical material that can be found at the country's many archives, libraries, and other repositories. Some of Scotland's best resources for historical research can be found at the national capital in Edinburgh and in London, as Scotland is part of the United Kingdom. In addition to country-level archives, records can also be located at the local level at various courthouses, public libraries, churches, council offices, cemeteries, and historical societies. Many records are also now available online at a number of great websites like Ancestry.com, Findmypast, ScotlandsPeople, and FamilySearch, all of which have large searchable databases relating to Scottish history and genealogy.

Records for Scotland can also be found at places like the National Archives of Scotland, National Library of Scotland, and Scottish Genealogy Society in Edinburgh. The National Archives of the UK in Kew and the British Library in London also house extensive collections of material relating to Scottish history and genealogy. These records include church records, property deeds, civil records, newspapers, books, censuses, court records, estate files, and many other types of records.

There are a number of ways to get copies of vital records (birth, marriage, and death certificates) in Scotland. Scotland began countrywide registration of vital records in 1855, and ScotlandsPeople has copies of these records from that date up to the present day. Prior to 1855, birth, marriage, and death records would have primarily been recorded by church parishes, which would have been responsible for keeping track of baptisms, marriages, and burials in different parts of the country.

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah also holds a large collection of records relating to Scotland. This is the largest and most important genealogy collection in the world and is worth a visit to explore the many billions of records that can be found there. Published material consists of books, microfilm, microfiche, and other records for Scotland's 32 council areas. The Family History Library also has smaller family history centers located throughout the world where you can order microfilm and have these records shipped to the local area where you live. The library has also transcribed and indexed billions of Scottish church records, published histories, censuses, and other types of records which are available to view or download online at FamilySearch.org.

The Scottish Diaspora

If your goal is to trace your immigrant ancestors back to their place of origin, it is important to first locate the many different types of records that your ancestors left behind in places like the United States, Australia, Canada, and elsewhere. Records like ships' passenger lists, naturalization petitions, censuses, military records, vital records, obituaries, and cemetery records can often provide you with information about your ancestor's birthplace, names of relatives, and other important information. This will help you narrow down your search parameters when your ancestry search continues overseas. It is generally not possible to locate family records in Scotland without first conducting extensive research in the places where your ancestors immigrated to.

Getting Started with Your Research

Many people wonder where they should begin with their family history research in Scotland. If you are new to genealogical research, the first thing you'll need to do is to start building a family tree with the information you already have at your disposal. There are some great genealogy software programs available that will help you get started with this process. Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, Family Historian, and RootsMagic all make great programs that can help organize your research.

Get started by first creating a pedigree chart for yourself and family group sheets for your parents, grandparents, and other close family members. You can download free copies of these forms at FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com. You can also create these records using a genealogy software program. Family group sheets allow you to record information like family members' birth dates, marriage dates, death dates, burial places, spouses' names, and other information that will be helpful to you as your research progresses. Interview living relatives and take notes about the major events of their lives. Add this information to your family files so that you will have a strong foundation of information as you move forward with your project.

During the initial stages of your research, you can accomplish a great deal using online resources. It is highly recommended that you get subscriptions to websites like Ancestry.com and Findmypast to help with your ongoing research. Information can also be found for free at FamilySearch.org. Many types of records including censuses, vital records, obituaries, and immigration records are available online and will help you put in place the building blocks for the first part of your family tree. Using a combination of online resources along with more traditional archival research will allow you to create a thoroughly documented family history.

A professional genealogist could also be helpful to your research in Scotland. With the expertise and knowledge of a skilled researcher, you can have someone visit local archives and libraries on your behalf throughout the United Kingdom. This is especially helpful if you don't live in the area and don't have ready access to court, land, and many other types of records that can often only be found after a visit to a local courthouse, public library, historical society, or council office. If you would like a professional genealogist to assist you with your ongoing research, please click here.

It is important when carrying out your research that you are thorough in documenting your family tree. Don't overlook the importance of finding your ancestor's siblings, cousins, and other close relatives. Brick walls are often encountered in genealogical research. To get beyond an apparent impasse it is often worthwhile to approach your research holistically. Many researchers who are new to genealogy often just want to get back as far as possible along a direct paternal or maternal family line. However, it is often the death certificates, obituaries, or other records of your direct ancestor's siblings and other close relatives that will provide you with the breakthroughs you are looking for.

Scottish Council Areas

Many Scottish family records can be found online and at various archives and libraries located throughout the United Kingdom. Many millions of records aren't yet available online, though, and many of these are awaiting your discovery at the local level at courthouses, historical societies, churches, council offices, cemeteries, and elsewhere in Scotland. To find these and other records, click on the links below to find more information about the specific counties where your ancestors lived in Scotland. You'll find information on these pages that will lead you to the specific documentation you're searching for.

It is important to keep in mind when doing research that the names and boundaries of certain areas in Scotland have changed over the past few hundred years. Your ancestors may have lived on a certain farm in one county and when borders were redrawn records relating to your family history might have been located in another area entirely. When searching for land, court, tax, and other records it is also a good idea to search for these records in adjacent areas. Following is a complete list of Scotland's 32 council areas along with their formation dates, county seats, and names of parent counties.