Resources for Scotland

There are a number of excellent books on Scottish research. Do study them before going to archives, libraries, family history centers, etc. and asking very basic, general questions or finding yourself in the wrong place for what you want to uncover. It is really appreciated if you can show you've done your homework.

The Genuki Pages on Scotland	GENUKI refers to Genealogy in the UK and Ireland. This is a content-rich guide to genealogy research in Britain. This link takes you direct to the Scottish section.
Introduction to Scottish Family Research	Part of the Genuki pages, Viv Dunstan offers a valuable introduction to research. Especially useful are her descriptions of the various archives, including the GRO and SRO (see below).
	General Register Office for Scotland or GRO, New Register House, Edinburgh -- the Scottish source for birth/marriage/death and census records on microfilm. Their computer index is now online at the Origins site. In person or online, there is a charge for search and extraction. The records of the GRO are more cheaply accessible through LDS Family History Centers (the same films are used in Edinburgh as at home). For a cheaper rental over several weeks you can view the whole record, browse, find items missed in index, see items in context, learn whats standard format and what's a unique entry, etc.
	The records of the National Archives of Scotland (formerly SRO or Scottish Record Office), Register House, Princes St., Edinburgh are best consulted in person or through a researcher. This is the Scottish source for non-microfilmed manuscript documents (sasines, court cases, wills, property transfers, kirk sessions, estate records, etc.) which can be consulted on site for FREE but you need a certain level of expertise for dealing with original mss. If you are clear on what you are looking for, Viv tells how to inquire directly from the staff. I recommend getting and studying their collection guide. Email very specific requests to the Historical Search Room, enquiries@nas.gov.uk. Tel: 0121 535 1353, Fax: 0131 535-1328
	The National Library in Edinburgh is south of St. Giles Cathedral (to the left of the photo) and corresponds to the American Library of Congress. I found rare biographies of family members I wouldn't have found elsewhere. Directly across the street is the Central Edinburgh Public Library. They are open when other archives are closed and offer some microfilmed parish records, census etc. as well as directories and reference books.
Glasgow Information	Glasgow City Council Website Explore the site beginning with "About Glasgow". There are history pages, a database of community resources which includes archive centers, and links to many interesting sites.
Church of Scotland Parish records	Indexes are available online through the Origins site (fee) or the LDS (free). Origins is the most complete and accurate coming from the source, but the LDS site is the most convenient. Remember that indexes are transcribed by humans and errors exist; always check the originals. You can order single extracts from Origins, but I recommend viewing the microfilm source first to make sure its what you want and to review the whole for items that might be missing in the index and to really understand the item in its context. You can glean a great deal. The originals are on film at the GRO, through LDS Family History Centers or through local libraries and centers in Scotland. You need to research what local centers exist and what they might have. Check Genuki. While you are welcome to visit church sites, don't expect that records are available there. Most are no longer on site. Graveyards may not be in good shape. Books on monumental inscriptions are available at archives and libraries. Some may be available for sale. (See Scottish Genealogical Society below.) If the church has a gift shop, check it out. There may be publications on the church or local area available.
Non-conformist Church records	When you cannot find parish record entries, it is possible they attended non-conformist churches. Sometimes they were required to register at a CS church and you may find a clue to their true affiliation. If they exist, they are probably at the National Archives of Scotland (see above); their collection guide offers some clues as to what records exist for your time and place. You might need a researcher to actually view the manuscripts. Some may exist locally at regional libraries. Check Genuki as well.
Catholic Church in Scotland	www.catholic-scotland.org.uk
Scottish Christian.com Churches, Christianity and religion in Scotland	Links to the websites of hundreds of local Scottish churches, listed by location and denomination
SCOTLAND GENWEB PROJECT	www.rootsweb.com/~sctwgw/
WebChurch	Scotland's virtual church, supplying links to all denominations -- not to mention the Star Trek Gospels!!! This site is about the living church, but the links are interesting and may take you to sites of use to genealogists.
Other How-To Guides	Scotland Genealogy - Gen205 - Mother Hubbard's Cupboard Ayrshire HowTo Guide LDS Scottish Reference Guide

Local History/Family History Centers

Don't forget the journals/newsletters published by local societies--they often reprint original documents or historical articles. These are also good places to visit if you are in Scotland. At libraries look for the journals of older societies as well (societies whose interests were antiquities or archaeology often include local history); the 19th c. is a goldmine of local history buffs.

Location Information

Historical Information

Surname Resources

Emigration Resources

Travelling to Scotland

My Favorite Resources for Scotland

Primary, Secondary & other Resources for the Family Historian