Edinburgh

genealogy Research in edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland is a great place to do family history research because of the country's large number of archives, libraries and other repositories. A variety of records can also be found locally at registry offices, courthouses, public libraries, historical societies and elsewhere. Websites like Ancestry.com, Findmypast, ScotlandsPeople, and FamilySearch also provide access to many unique online databases relating to Scottish genealogy.

In addition to these great resources, we have compiled a large number of links that should prove helpful to your search. Many of these are listed below and on our other pages relating to all parts of Scotland. If you would like a professional genealogist to help you with your quest, please click below.

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archives and libraries

The British Library - London, UK
Internet Archive - Edinburgh, Scotland
The National Archives of the UK - Kew, UK
National Library of Scotland - Edinburgh, UK
National Records of Scotland - Edinburgh, UK
Open Library - Edinburgh
Scottish Genealogy Society - Edinburgh, UK

biographies

Biography Online - Famous Scottish People
Brilliant Books Set In Edinburgh - Other Scottish Stories
FamilySearch - Scotland Biography
National Library of Scotland - Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsman
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - Scots and Scotland
People of Medieval Scotland
Scots and Scotland in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Scottish Biographies - Books in Scotland
Undiscovered Scotland - Biographical Index
Wikipedia.org - Edinburgh, Scotland Notable Residents

cemeteries

Billion Graves - City of Edinburgh
Cemeteries in City of Edinburgh - Find a Grave
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Edinburgh, Scotland
Cyndi's List - Cemeteries & Funeral Homes in Scotland
FamilySearch - Scotland Cemeteries
Findmypast - Scotland Billion Graves Cemetery Index
GENUKI - Edinburgh, Midlothian Cemeteries
Graveyards of Scotland - Edinburgh
Interment.net - Scotland Cemetery Records
National Records of Scotland - Deaths and Burials
WorldCat.org - Edinburgh, Scotland

census records

Edinburgh Population 2022 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs)
FamilySearch - Scotland Census
The National Archives of the UK - Census Records
National Library of Scotland - Census Records
National Records of Scotland - Census Records
Scotland's Census - History of the Census
ScotlandsPeople - Census Returns

church records

The Church of Scotland - Historical Records
GENUKI - Edinburgh, Midlothian Churches
GENUKI - Edinburgh, Midlothian Church History
GENUKI - Edinburgh, Midlothian Church Records
National Records of Scotland - Church Records
Scotland Church Records - FamilySearch
Wikipedia.org - Edinburgh, Scotland Religion

court records

FamilySearch - Scotland Court Records
Findmypast - Scotland Court & Criminal Database
Courts and Court Records - Guides at Georgetown Law Library
National Records of Scotland - Crime and Criminals
Scottish Courts - Court Records

directories

Ancestry.com - UK City and County Directories
Edinburgh Business Directory - Listings for Edinburgh
FamilySearch - Scotland Directories
Historical Directories for Edinburgh
National Library of Scotland - Directories
National Library of Scotland - Scottish Post Office Directories
Origin Scotland Church Directory
The Scottish Genealogy Society - Directories

emigration records

FamilySearch - Scotland Emigration and Immigration
GenGuide - Emigration Records
Glasgow Family History - Emigration, Immigration and Migration
Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
Library and Archives Canada - Scottish Genealogy and Family History
Library of Congress - Sources for Research in Scottish Genealogy: Emigration
The National Archives of the UK - Emigration and Emigrants
National Library of Scotland - Emigration and Passenger Lists
National Museum of Scotland - Scots and Emigration 1800 - 1950
National Records of Scotland - Emigration Records
ScotlandsPeople - Emigration and Immigration
Scottish Archive Network - Emigration Records
Scottish Emigration Database - The University of Aberdeen
The Scottish Genealogy Society - Scottish Emigration
University of Aberdeen - Scottish Emigration Database

estate files

Ancestry.com - Scottish Calendar of Confirmations
FamilySearch - Scotland Estate Records
Mygov.scot - Finding a Will
The National Archives of the UK - Wills and Administrations after 1858
National Library of Scotland - Estate Papers
National Records of Scotland - Wills and Testaments
Scottish Courts - Estate Records
Scottish Land and Estates - Document Library
ScotlandsPeople - Inventories of Estates

heraldry records

The Armorial Register - International Register of Arms
ScotlandsPeople - Coats of Arms
Court of the Lord Lyon - Edinburgh, UK
Facts about Heraldry in Scotland - Scots Connection
The Heraldry Society of Scotland - Edinburgh, UK
Heraldry of the World - Edinburgh
Introduction to Scottish Heraldry - Scotlans
Public Register of Arms - National Records of Scotland
Scotland's Heraldry - Scottish Tartans Authority
Scottish Armory and Heraldry - Clan Campbell Society of North America
Scottish Heraldry - Wikipedia.org

history

British History Online - Edinburgh
Edinburgh Geography, History, & Points of Interest - Britannica
Edinburgh Old Town History - History Timeline
Edinburghshire, Scotland - Genealogy Heraldry and History
GENUKI - Edinburgh, Midlothian Bibliography
GENUKI - Edinburgh, Midlothian Gazetteers
Google Books - Edinburgh, Scotland
A Guide to Edinburgh, History: About Scotland
History of the Castle - Edinburgh Castle
A History of Edinburgh - Local Histories
History of Edinburgh - Past, Present and Future of Edinburgh
Historic Environment Scotland - Edinburgh
JCR-UK: Edinburgh Jewish Community, Scotland
Scotland IGI Batch Numbers - Edinburgh, Midlothian
Statistical Accounts of Scotland - Edinburgh
Undiscovered Scotland - Edinburgh
A Vision of Britain Through Time - Edinburgh
Wikipedia.org - Edinburgh, Scotland
The Workhouse in Edinburgh, Midlothian

maps

County Maps of Midlothian (Edinburghshire), 1600s-1960s - National Library of Scotland
Edinburgh Maps - Edinburgh World Heritage
Geographic.org - Edinburgh
GENUKI - Edinburgh, Midlothian Maps
Gazetteer of British Place Names - Edinburgh
Maps of Edinburgh
Old Maps of Edinburgh
Old Maps of Edinburgh, Lothian - Francis Frith
ScotlandsPlaces - Edinburgh
Town Plan of Edinburgh Surveyed: 1849-53
Town Plan of Edinburgh Surveyed: 1876-77
Town Plan of Edinburgh Surveyed: 1893-4

military records

Army Museums Ogilby Trust
Casualty Forms
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Edinburgh, Scotland
Ministry of Defence - GOV.UK
Royal Scots - Regiment History, War & Military Records & Archives
The Society for Army Historical Research

newspapers

The British Newspaper Archive
Cyndi's List - UK & Ireland Newspapers
Edinburgh Evening News
Findmypast - British Newspapers
National Library of Scotland - Newspapers Collections
National Library of Scotland - Newspapers Online
Newspapers.com - Scotland
Scotsman Digital Archive

obituaries

All of Edinburgh News' Recent Obituaries
Findmypast - Death Reports & Obituaries
Funeral Notices - Edinburgh
The Herald - Death Notices & Obituaries
Obits Index - Scotland
Obituaries & Death Notices in Edinburgh - Funeral Guide
The Scotsman - Obituaries

photographs

DarkIsle.com - Scotland Castles, Cairns and Celtic Music
Hidden in a Shoebox: Vintage Edinburgh Shots that were Nearly Lost
Historic Environment Scotland - National Collection of Aerial Photography
Historical Photos Show Edinburgh From Between 1850s and 1930s
National Galleries of Scotland - The MacKinnon Collection
National Library of Scotland - Photographs in the Collections
National Records of Scotland - Image Gallery
Old Photos of Edinburgh - Francis Frith
Photographs of Scottish Castles and Manor Houses
Photographs - National Library of Scotland
Statistical Accounts of Scotland - Edinburgh

property records

FamilySearch - Scotland Land and Property Search
Land Register of Scotland - Land and Property Information
Land Searches Scotland - Land Registers and Conveyancing Searches
National Records of Scotland - Deeds
National Records of Scotland - Sasines
Registers of Scotland - Scotland's Land and Property Registers
Scottish Genealogy Society - Land Records

school records

FamilySearch - Scotland School Records
GenGuide - School Records for the UK and Ireland
Wikipedia.org - Edinburgh, Scotland Education

societies

FamilySearch - Scotland Societies
Findmypast - Scottish Association of Family History Societies
Museums and Galleries Edinburgh
National Library of Scotland - Historical Clubs and Societies
National Museums Scotland
New England Historic Genealogical Society - Edinburgh, Scotland
Old Edinburgh Club
The Scottish Association of Family Histories Societies
The Scottish Genealogy Society - Edinburgh, UK
The Scottish History Society
Scottish Regional and National History and Record Societies
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland - Genealogy and Ancestry

tax records

FamilySearch - Scotland Taxation
The National Archives of the UK - Records of Taxation
National Records of Scotland - Taxation Records
ScotlandsPlaces - Historical Tax Rolls
The Scottish Genealogy Society - Taxation Records

vital records

FamilySearch - Scotland Civil Registration
The National Archives of the UK - Births, Marriages and Deaths in Scotland and Ireland
National Library of Scotland - Records of Births, Deaths and Marriages
National Records of Scotland - Birth, Death, & Marriage Records
National Records of Scotland - Deaths and Burials
ScotlandsPeople - Statutory Register of Births

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.