Researching Your Scottish Family Tree

 

Getting Started
    If you were thousands of miles away from Scotland it used to be very difficult to research your Scottish family tree. But, thanks to the Internet, it has became dramatically easier with the Scottish Records Office providing their database of 20 million records on-line. But that is not the whole story so here are some words of advice on how to go about finding your Scottish roots.

    First of all, get as many details as possible from other members of the family - especially the older generation! Getting copies of birth, marriage or death certificates can be extremely helpful but even recollections of names and places can put some of the jig-saw into place.

New Register House
    The important thing to remember is that all useful records have been centralized in
General Register Office of Scotland in Edinburgh. (In England lots of the records are still in county records offices, making life a lot more difficult for genealogists!). New Register House holds all the "hatches, matches and dispatches" for the whole of Scotland. The births, marriages and deaths are on a computerized database and copies of all the church parish records have been microfilmed and are available for research. A fully searchable on-line index of these records is available at ScotlandsPeople. The records available are the indexes of all surviving Old Parish Registers of births/baptisms and banns/marriages from 1553 to 1902, indexes to the Statutory Registers of births from 1553-1902, and marriages from 1553 to 1854, indexes to the Statutory Registers of deaths for 1855 to 1925 and an index to census records for 1881, 1891 and 1901 (with images of actual pages for 1891 and 1901). One additional year of births/deaths/marriage index data is added per annum. For a payment of six pounds sterling, about ten US dollars, a customer can view and download up to 30 computer-screen pages of index data (within a 24 hour period). For an additional ten pounds the customer will be able to highlight a particular index entry and send an electronic order for an extract of the full record to which the index entry relates.

 

SCOTTISH LINKS & RESOURCES


GENUKI: Scotland
General Register Office for Scotland
Contact Information

Scots Origins: General Register Office for Scotland Indexes (Pay-per-view database)
Indexes available at the site include:
~ Old Parish Registers of births/baptisms and banns/marriages dating from 1553 to 1854
~ Indexes to the Statutory Registers of births, deaths and marriages from 1855 to 1898

National Archives of Scotland
HM General Register House
Edinburgh,
EH1 3YY
Scotland, UK

National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EW
Scotland, UK

     The Web's guide to Scottish genealogy research sources contains annotated links to many sites that provide tools, services, and records for those wanting to discover their Scottish - and other - roots.


    Genealogists for the Scottish Clans
http://thecapitalscot.com/scotgenealogy/clangenealogist.html is a list of Clan Genealogists and Clan points of contact for genealogy (for the Scottish Clans and Family Associations). The amount of information available from these genealogists varies greatly, with some having extensive records and research sources. Robert D. McLaren, genealogist of the Clan MacLaren, maintains that list and an explanatory page on this site in the following formats:
HTML
MS Word
Adobe Acrobat
Bob McLaren may be contacted at
bobmclaren@earthlink.net .

    Ancestry Research published by the Clan McLea: First steps and other information about starting to trace your Scottish ancestry.


    The Scottish Heritage & Ancestral Research Society (SHARS) includes members who are just beginning to discover the thrill and rewards of exploring their unique family histories, as well as others for whom it has long been a passion. ... Benefits of SHARS membership include: Monthly lecture program, Help sessions and mentoring, Quarterly newsletters, E-mail updates on events of Scottish and/or genealogical importance, Surname and location registry, New member packet, Invitations to various Scottish events, Research trips, and more! 

The Scottish Genealogy Society:
This is my country,
The land that begat me,
These windy spaces
Are surely my own.
And those who toil here
In the sweat of their faces
Are flesh of my flesh
And bone of my bone.
- Sir Alexander Gray
    The Society is a charity which exists to serve everyone who has an interest in Scottish genealogy ... check whether there is any information relevant to your family in the Family History Index or the History - Family section of the Library Index and ... visit our On-Line Shop, which has over 1400 publications relating to Scottish genealogy, including our unique and extensive collection of monumental inscriptions and census publications.

    The Tay Valley Family History Society was founded in 1980 and aims to promote the study of family history and genealogy throughout the Tay Valley, which includes the former counties of Dundee, Angus, Fife, Kinross and Perthshire in Scotland. The Society is a member of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) and is a registered charity. The Society is based at its Family History Research Centre, 179-181 Princes Street, Dundee, Scotland. The Centre maintains a unique library of genealogical and local history materials relating to the Tay Valley and Scotland which is constantly added to. The Research Centre facilities are available to members of the Society, non-members (upon payment of a session fee) and members of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies who have reciprocal research facilities. Members are encouraged to do their own research, volunteer staff can provide guidance and assistance. Tay Valley Family History Society is not however a professional research body and will not compile full family trees.

    Association of Scottish Genealogists and Record Agents
http://www.asgra.co.uk/  - "This on-line resource contains information on the Association of Scottish Genealogists and Records Agents, sourcing family history, and most importantly a list of professional researchers with full contact details to arrange private commissions." Follow the links to About the Association http://www.asgra.co.uk/assoc.htm  where you will find information about membership and how to request services.
 

    Visit The Odom Library in Moultrie, Georgia. See
http://amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/index.html  for some unique, helpful methods, free genealogy lessons, tutorial, hints and tips that will send you in the right direction with your family history.

    The Family Tree, which is centered mostly on Scottish genealogy, has ceased publication and gone over to electronic on-line format. It mixes genealogy insights, tips, and reunions plus many articles concerning Scottish Clans and events in the USA.

    Find Scotland Genealogy Links
http://www.genealogylinks.net/  with links to ships passenger lists, cemetery transcriptions, censuses, military records and many other online surname searchable databases.

    Scotland's People
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ is the official online source of parish register, civil registration and census records for Scotland. Containing nearly 40 million records, the Scotland's People database is one of the world's largest resources of genealogical information and one of the largest single genealogical research resources on the Web.

    The Scottish Roots at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
: Did your family leave Scotland for further afield? Are you convinced that you have a Scottish heritage? Whether you're from Scotland or returning to search for your roots, this site provides you with all the information you need. Step by step, we'll help you develop your research. From the earliest stages of Getting Started - through to developing your investigations in Further Steps - we'll help you trawl your past. Initial Sources and Digging Deeper look at specific resources and our regular Feature looks at developments as they happen. The Histories section offers you tales of genealogical research to inspire you! 


    The Scotsman Digital Archive ... contains every page of every issue of the paper between 1817 and 1900, in digital form. This web-based electronic archive, which displays each article as it originally appeared, will shortly be extended to 1950 and eventually to the present day. Making history as well as recording it, this is the first time a UK newspaper has digitized its archive into a searchable format for public access. ... Search every edition of The Scotsman between 1817 and 1910 in our unique online archive. Find out if an ancestor of yours appears in our births, marriages and deaths notices, or even in a news story. Read contemporary accounts of events such as: the Highland Clearances; the Burke and Hare trial; the inauguration of the Wallace Monument. The archive is to be extended up to the present day.

    Burke's Peerage and Gentry at
http://www.burkes-peerage.net/  - The definitive historical guide to the UK and Ireland's titled and landed families may prove a useful resource to those wanting to trace their Scottish family history.

    Tracing your Scottish Ancestry
http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/GENEALOGY.HTML  is a list of genealogical resources for tracing your Scottish roots.

    Scotland Genealogy Links
http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/scotland  is organized by geographical area. There are links to the following functions specifically for each area: Genuki, mailing list, queries, and surnames list. There is also a chat room.

    Find Scottish Ancestors On-Line with Genealogylinks.net
http://www.genealogylinks.net/  Genealogylinks.net consists of 400 pages of now, over 7,000 links, most of them to ship's passenger lists, church records, cemetery transcriptions, military records and censuses for USA, UK, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

    Scottish roots at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/scottishroots  - Step by step, we'll help you through your research. From the earliest stages of Getting Started to developing your investigations in Further Steps - we'll help you trawl your past. Initial Sources and Digging Deeper look at specific resources and our regular Feature looks at developments in the field of genealogy - this month, we give you a guide to digital imaging of Scottish records. The Histories section offers you three tales of genealogical wonder to inspire your research!

    The Internet Guide to Scotland
http://www.scotland-info.co.uk/links.htm  includes a page on researching your Scottish family history http://www.scotland-info.co.uk/gene-faq.htm  which includes links to sites with information pertinent to different geographical areas of Scotland.

    Visit the "Gathering of the Clans" for articles about articles about the Celtic heritage. Also, search for your name and clan affiliation in the "Clan Finder" and conduct genealogical research.

    Ancestral Scotland - Exploring your roots - Discover more about the Scot in you - Tracing your family history is a journey of discovery that leads you to explore the lives and times of ancestors who lived hundreds of years ago - and perhaps even thousands of miles away - in circumstances which are all but unimaginable today. Retracing the footsteps of your ancestors will not only bring the past to life, it will also make your home coming the most dynamic and exciting experience of your life. From the meaning of surnames to the jobs our ancestors did, this section of
http://www.ancestralscotland.com/  will help you explore your Scottish roots. Then it is a small step to making your own ancestral journey home to Scotland.

    The UK Public Record Office (PRO)
http://www.pro.gov.uk/  is the repository of the national archives for England, Wales and the United Kingdom. It was founded by act of Parliament in 1838 to bring together and preserve the records of central government and the courts of law, and to make them available to all who wish to consult them. The records, beginning with Domesday Book (1086), span an unbroken period from the 11th century to the present, including genealogy research tools.

    Abrexa UK - A list of useful links for genealogy:

    The General Register Office for Scotland
(GROS) http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/  "administers the registration of events such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions, and is responsible for the statutes relating to the formalities of marriage and conduct of civil marriage. They take the decennial census of Scotland's population and prepare and publish demographic and other statistics for central and local Government, for medical research, and for the private sector. They also make available to customers public records about individuals, and maintain for the Scottish Executive the National Health Service Central Register."

    Scots Origins
http://www.origins.net/  is a service of the General Register Office for Scotland which provides useful genealogy research support. Origins.net was founded in 1997 and offers online access to some of the richest ancestral information available to help you research your family history.
To view our current products and services and try a free search across British Origins, Irish Origins, and Origin Search, please visit
http://www.originsnetwork.com/
. Origins Network services include subscription access to exclusive genealogy related collections on British Origins and Irish Origins, expert Scottish Old Parish records research on Scots origins, plus Free basic access to our state-of-the-art specialized search engine for genealogy, Origin Search.


    You will be interested in Scots Origins which features a free IGI search, access to 'Origins Experts' research of Scottish Old Parish Registers Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Death records and 1861 and 1871 Census Records, a free Scottish Placename Search, and expert articles and discussion on Scottish history.

    The UK and Ireland Genealogical Information Service
(GENUKI) http://www.genuki.org.uk/  - According to the site, "The UK and Ireland are regarded, for the purposes of this Genealogical Information Service, as being made up of England, Ireland (i.e. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland), Wales, and Scotland, together with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Together, these constitute the British Isles - which is a geographical term for a group of islands lying off the north-west coast of mainland Europe. (Legally, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are largely self governing, and are not part of the United Kingdom.) The Administrative Regions into which the UK and Ireland are divided have changed frequently in recent years. However, in line with normal genealogical practice, this Information Service is structured according to the counties as shown in these maps of England, Scotland and Wales, and of Ireland, i.e., as they were prior to the re-organization that took place in 1974 (1975 for Scotland)."

    Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section
http://www.history.ac.uk/  (London). According to the site, "The Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library exists to fulfill two main functions: to ensure that the records in its care are preserved for present and future generations, and to make those records available to the public. ..... information in the manuscripts can be made available in other ways, such as through the use of microfilm copies." [Capital Scot advisory: On June 8 the old link suddenly stopped working. This new one take the reader to the Institute of Historical Research.]
The site is also available in the French language
http://ihr.sas.ac.uk/gh/french.htm 

    The British Library has a guide [Adobe Acrobat] that aims to help you find published genealogical sources in their holdings.

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Family Search site is at
http://www.familysearch.org/ . There you may search for ancestors, share information, and access the Family History Library System.

    Scottish And LDS Genealogical Reference Information: To aid others doing Scottish genealogy research at one of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint's Family History Centers (FHC), I have scanned several reference documents from the Salt Lake City Family History Library and posted them here so that you can do some work at home that might help make your time at the FHCs more productive. If you don't have a clue what all this is about, here's a brief explanation of this material, a quick example on how to use it and a couple warnings about what you might encounter.

    The 1930 Census of the US Census Bureau at
http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/1930census_media.html  - "On April 1, 2002, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released to the public individual records from the 1930 Census. By law, individual records cannot be released to the public until 72 years after the census in which they were collected." Of particular interest is the 1930 Census Fact Sheet at http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/1930facts.html  A search mechanism for the archives is provided at http://1930census.archives.gov/  so you can identify the item your are looking for prior to contacting the national Archives and records Administration (NARA) http://www.archives.gov/index.html  for an appointment. The site also provides the following features: Historical Data, Historical Photographs, Geography Products, 1930 Radio Feature, and How the Nation Has Changed Since the 1930 Census.

    Genealogical Resources in U.S. Federal Depository Libraries [MS Word Document]: This guide is intended to give those interested in genealogical research some idea of the kinds of materials available through the U.S. Government Information Division of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, as well as through the Federal Depository Library System in general. Although our library primarily serves the State and Federal government, academic, and library communities, our collection contains many resources that might be helpful to the genealogical researcher. Includes: Sources for Research in Scottish Genealogy. (1992) 10p. Library of Congress. Humanities and Social Sciences Division. Local History and Genealogy Reading Room. Judith P. Reid. This guide has been prepared primarily as an aid for those who are researching Scottish genealogy and local history at the Library of Congress, but it will also be useful for those searching in other large libraries. It is not comprehensive and is intended to be supplemented by Judith P. Reid's Sources for Research in English Genealogy and P. William Filby's American & British Genealogy and Heraldry: A Selected List of Books. LC 1.6/5: 17

    Genealogical Research Using FBI Files - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has maintained files on millions of Americans over the decades. Official records cover the period from 1908 to the present. FBI files initiated since 1956 have all been computerized. Files for time period prior to 1956 files are in manual format. Some materials exist prior to 1908 but they are incomplete and significant gaps exist. Contrary to public perception, these records can be accessed by the general public. If you feel one of your ancestors may have a record on file with the FBI, you can write to the following address: ...

    Cyndi's List
http://www.cyndislist.com/  has 43,550 links, categorized and cross-referenced in over 100 categories with another 11,950+ uncategorized new links in the works. There is a comprehensive frequently asked questions (FAQ) http://www.CyndisList.com/faq.htm  list that explains the site, what it contains and links to, and how to use it.
Note especially Cyndi's List - Scotland
http://www.cyndislist.com/scotland.htm 

    Lloyd's Register Useful Sources for Genealogists: We often receive requests for crew agreements, passenger lists, careers of captains and of seamen. Lloyd's Register has never recorded such details and as such can be of little help to genealogists. We have, however, collated various useful information, including suggested reading, contact addresses and advice, from relevant institutions and hope that this will assist you with your research. This site has a list of suggested readings for getting started, general texts, books on census records, books covering specific regions, and on naval and merchant shipping records. You will also find links to other sources online including registries, journals, contacts, and the like.

    DNA Directory - one of the biggest DNA sites on the Internet - with thousands of pages of information on DNA, and much more! This is your one-stop destination for anything you can think about DNA. This DNA Directory designed to help its users find the DNA information, source, companies, products and services.

    The National Institute for Genealogical Studies was established to assist all genealogists---from family historians to practicing professionals---by providing studies in a variety of genealogical topics. Education provides an important role in raising levels of personal and visible growth and in the certification or accreditation of genealogists. Courses are available.

    The Scottish Roots Ancestral Service
http://www.scottish-roots.co.uk/  specializes in ancestral genealogical research using only authentic records kept at New Register House - Scotland's main record office located in Edinburgh.

    Scot Roots
http://www.scotroots.com/  is a Scottish-based ancestor search service that likes to enliven family trees with historical photographs of places and people at work, and provides large-scale 19th century maps to help pinpoint the ancestral clan or family home.

    The Surname Guide
http://www.gengateway.com/surnames/surnames.html is where to find both e-mail surname resource listings and surname homepage listings in huge quantities. You may also enter listings automatically there and see them appear on-line immediately. Included is a super-duper search engine and a page index. The front page has also been edited to load quicker.

    Roots
http://www.scotclans.com/news/roots.htm  is a commercial site listing genealogical resources for tracing your Scottish roots, some of which are listed elsewhere on The Capital Scot.

    Scottishdocuments.Com at
http://www.scottishdocuments.com/content/default.asp  is a commercial site that offers access to numerous genealogical documents.

    Your Scottish Kin
- a Scottish family genealogy research service based in the historic Kingdom of Fife in Scotland is at
http://www.scottish-genealogy.co.uk/ . You can have your family researched as a gift for one of your relatives or maybe you just want to satisfy your curiosity about your own Scottish connections. There is a wealth of information in Scotland's archives. We can help you untap this.
 
    Virginia Genealogy: A Guide to Genealogical Resources at the University of Virginia - The University of Virginia has a large number of genealogical sources among its holdings, including what must be considered one of the foremost collections dealing with Virginia genealogy. The printed materials--general guides and bibliographies, printed records, and manuscript sources--are scattered throughout the library system, primarily in Alderman Library and the Small Special Collections Library, with some materials to be found in the various libraries of the University of Virginia Library system. This guide has been prepared in an attempt to make these sources more readily available to the genealogical researcher, whose time is often limited. Although the bulk of this guide deals with sources for Virginia genealogies, the reader will find sections on genealogical research in general, on foreign genealogical sources, and on United States genealogy.

    Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Corvallis, Oregon
Genealogy Research Sources - Other

    The Association of Professional Genealogists at
http://www.apgen.org/ is a professional association for all genealogists supporting high standards in the field of genealogy. If you are a practicing genealogist, wish to become one, or otherwise are interested in the profession of genealogy, we invite you to join the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).

    The National Genealogical Society maintains a page of links to genealogical research resources
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/links.htm 

    The USGenWeb Project
http://www.usgenweb.com/  is a group of volunteers working together to provide Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. This Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free access for everyone. Genealogy materials are broken down by state and county. Each county has a coordinator responsible for maintaining a site of resources which are available for that county.

    The RootsWeb
http://www.rootsweb.com/
  project has two missions: 

        a) To make large volumes of data available to the online genealogical community at minimal cost; and, 

        b) to provide support services to online genealogical activities such as USENET newsgroup moderation, mailing list maintenance and surname list generation. They have a surname directory where you can contact people doing research on a specific name and also a directory of mailing lists which you can join regarding a name or region.

    Family History Ondisc:
http://www.silverplatter.com/catalog/afho.htm  Information Resources for Genealogists - "contains information resources for genealogists, family historians and researchers. A compilation of Australia's leading family history resource databases, Family History Ondisc includes information about family histories, cemetery records, memorial records, historical records, military ancestry, Who's Whos, and other genealogical resources."

    The Genealogy Forum
http://genforum.com/  - an excellent bulletin board for family roots.

    The Genealogy Gateway
http://www.gengateway.com/  provides searches of surnames and "gateways" to users with various levels of experience and for individual topics such as Scotland. The site also solicits contributions to its holdings. Examples of topics are:

* Beginners Gateway
* Database Gateway
* Ethnic Gateway
* History Gateway
* Listing Gateway
* Military Gateway
* Obituary Gateway
* Scottish Gateway
* Surname Gateway
* USA Gateway
* Vital Records Gateway
* Worldwide Gateway

    Do genealogy research online! earthlink.net Links are provided to databases, etc. Grow Your Family Tree Genealogy takes root on the Web - Genealogy is one of the most popular hobbies in the world. And whether you're just getting started or a seasoned vet, the Internet offers an abundance of resources that can save you time, money, and heartache in putting together your family tree.

    http://www.GenCircles.com   - The Global Tree consists of over 90 million ancestors submitted to GenCircles by our users. To begin your search enter the First and Last name of an ancestor.

    http://www.earl.org  - Genealogy resources: Even an unsuccessful search for ancestors leads to a better understanding of history. The search for living relatives often leads to family reunions, both of distant cousins and of disrupted families. Genealogists sometimes help reunite families separated by immigration, foster homes and adoption. The genealogist can help keep family traditions alive or reveal family secrets.

    Link-O-Mania
http://link-o-mania.com/main  "This website is designed as a quick easy reference for researching your family history on the internet. The links included are considered the best we have found in their respective categories."
Genealogy Research Sources - For the Beginner

    Some of these beginner's resources, how-to tutorials, are on genealogy sites listed elsewhere on this page.

    University of Virginia - Help For Beginning Genealogists: Suggestions On How To Begin, Basic Resources

    Beginning Family History from a UK Perspective - lots of tips

    amberskyline 5 Steps to getting started on your family history / - Treasure Maps how to genealogy site will lead you to some unique, helpful methods, free genealogy lessons, tutorial, hints and tips that will send you in the right direction with your family history. Take your time and have fun with the free tutorials and courses on this unique genealogy site. As you are looking around, be sure to see these free genealogy resources (many you won't find anywhere else on the Internet)

    Scotland's People Getting Started - Family History Begins At Home - The golden rule in family history research is to try to work backwards from what you already know. As such, family history truly does begin at home and you may be surprised at how much you already know or have access to within your own extended family. It is not necessary to have a lot of detail to start, but it makes sense to log whatever information is readily available and to seek out further details from relatives.

    Scottish Roots at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
   Getting Started - Family tree, how to do it, finding information, tips [It helps if there is anything unusual in the family. Criminality is a real bonus when trying to trace your forebears!], and pitfalls [Time is money when it comes to research. Libraries charge, so don't go on fishing expeditions - know what you need to find.]. Step by step, we'll help you through your research. From the earliest stages of Getting Started to developing your investigations in Further Steps - we'll help you trawl your past. Initial Sources and Digging Deeper look at specific resources and our regular Feature looks at developments in the field of genealogy - this month, we give you a guide to digital imaging of Scottish records. The Histories section offers you three tales of genealogical wonder to inspire your research!

    The UK and Ireland Genealogical Information Service (GENUKI) - Getting Started in Genealogy and Family History - Tutorials on: Genealogy and Family History, Decide what your aim is, Work backwards, Document your sources, Has it already been done?, Use the LDS Family History Centres, Join a society, Do not rely just on online sources, Using a computer, Types of information source, Tracing emigrants, Tracing missing persons, How far can you get?, From genealogy to family history, Write up your results, Selected references for further reading, APPENDIX: Other Introductory Accounts (What is Genealogy?, A-Z of British Genealogical Research, Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History).

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints FamilySearch - How to Start Your Family History - Family history research involves 6 basic steps. Each step is briefly explained: 

Step 1. Remember Your Ancestors. 

Step 2. Use Sources in Your Home. 

Step 3. Ask Relatives for Information. 

Step 4. Choose a family or Ancestor You Want to Learn More About. 

Step 5. See If Someone Else Has Already Found the Information.

Step 6. Search Records For Your Ancestor. Other resources available here are:

* A printable guide to How to Start Your Family History

* Pedigree Chart - Download or print a form to list your pedigree: your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and so on.

* Family Group Record Form - Download or print a form to list an entire family and their information.

* Personal Ancestral File - Download a Windows¨-based program to help you organize your family history information.

* Search for Ancestors - Search for deceased individuals in the FamilySearch.org database.

* Collaboration E-Mail Lists - Allows people to collaborate with others on a particular individual, surname, place, or topic.

* Family History Library Catalog, Surname Search - Search for published histories of individuals in the Family History Library collection.

* Family History Centers - Locate a family history center near you.

* Web Sites - Locate other family history Web sites that may contain histories or information about your family.

* Research Guidance - Search for records that may have information about your ancestors.

* Research Helps - Access forms and other helps to download or print.


    Lloyd's Register - Useful sources for genealogists - Suggested readings

    The Genealogy Forum General Forum - General Questions and Discussion About Genealogy

    The Genealogy Gateway Beginners Gateway - Links to many topics including: Ancestral Search, Beginner's Guide To Family History Research, Beginning Genealogical Research for England & Wales, Buyer Beware: Genealogy Scams and Pitfalls, Conducting a Family History Interview, Family History Search, Family Legends: What are they worth?, Family Research Guidance, Find Your Family Tree.

Books

* Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors: The Official Guide by The National Archives of Scotland. 208-page paperback book published in October 2003. In-depth information including Internet resources.

* Ancestral Scotland - Scots ancestry

* Lloyd's Register - Useful sources for genealogists - Suggested readings