Home
Site Contents
Wee Jock's Blog
Travel & Leisure Places To See
Scotland Tours
Top Attractions
Outdoor Activities
Accommodation
Travel Information
Scottish Nightlife
Scotland Map
Discount Passes
Culture & History Scottish Culture
Scottish Sayings
Scottish History
Scottish Castles
Scottish Recipes
Scottish Weddings
Events & Festivals Scotland Events
Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Tattoo
Hogmanay Party
Highland Games
Music Festivals
Walking Events
Cycling Events
Buy Tickets
News & Fun Wee Jock's Quiz
Scottish Humour
Your Own Page?
My Guestbook
Newsletter
Resources & Links Advertise Here
Scotland Shop
Geneaology
Travel Links
Site Search

[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

Do You Think You May Have
Scottish Ancestry?

Discover Scotland > Scottish Ancestry



Wherever you are in the world, there is a chance that you have Scottish ancestors, and wouldn't it be great if you could trace your heritage?

Thistle
Following the Highland clearances in the eighteenth century, when many Highlanders were forcefully evicted from their homes to make way for sheep farming, many Scots emigrated to far off shores, to make a new life for themselves in the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and many other countries around the world.

Nowadays you will find Scots almost anywhere, and with them, Scottish culture. You see, many emigrants had taken the old customs and traditions with them, and that's the main reason that Highland Games events are now celebrated in many places the world over.

It is estimated that over 85 Million people worldwide claim to have Scottish Ancestry, and you may be one of them. So where do you begin your search to trace your ancestors?

If you have an interest in geneaology then you've probably made a start and traced back to your great grandparents and a generation beyond. Going further back, you may have to search Scottish records, and I will provide you with some helpful resources to assist you in your search.

Getting started ......

  • To begin with, you should look out any old documents you may have at home, like birth, death and marriage certificates, or immigration papers.

  • The library can also be a good source of information on family history.

  • If you come to a dead end after exhausting all avenues, then it may be time to start searching the records held by Scottish government offices.

  • You will normally find that you will have to pay a fee for searches, but the good news is, the fees are usually very inexpensive.

Websites that should be helpful ......


Thistle
The General Register Office
(GRO) All the records for births, marriages and deaths in Scotland are held at New Register House, West Register Street, Edinburgh. EH1 3YY. Tel: 0131 334 0380


Thistle
Scots Origins
You can carry out some free Scottish ancestry searches on this site, like Scottish records from 1700 to 1990, and marriages, births and christenings from 1553 - 1875.


Thistle
GENUKI
You'll find lots of good information here for getting you started on your geneaology trail, and loads of resources to help you get there. Covers the whole of the UK & Ireland.


Thistle
UKI Search
You can search by county on this site, with loads of handy links, free access to most of the resources on offer, and genealogy records for the whole of the United Kingdom.


Thistle
Scotlands People
This is the official government source for genealogical data for Scotland. You'll find good resources here for tracing your Scottish ancestry, with statutary records of births, marriages and deaths, dating back to 1855. There's old parish registers for births, baptisms and marriages from 1553, and census records from 1841. You can start searching here for as little as £6.



This list is by no means comprehensive, as there are a great many websites offering professional searches. The trouble is, some of them charge an hourly rate for the service, and others an expensive fixed fee.

I hope you found some of this information helpful.


Find A Hotel In Scotland. Different providers, different prices, and user reviews. Save time and money, search them here for the best deal.

Major Events in Scotland :

Military Tattoo
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Book your Edinburgh Military Tattoo tickets now for this magnificent spectacle, set against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. An event not to be missed.


Fringe Festival
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
One of the world's largest arts events, the Festival stages more than 2,000 shows in hundreds of theatres, with shows ranging from Shakespeare to modern works.


Edinburgh Hogmanay
Edinburgh Hogmanay
Year after year the Hogmanay street party brings something new to the crowds: with a Torchlight Procession, Carnival, and indoor & outdoor events.


Back To Top of Scottish Ancestry


Home | About | Contact | Privacy | Site Map


The Saltire Share on Facebook



Visitor Pages - You Can Have Your Own Page Too




 Susan's page .... Just for a  change, let’s holiday at home,  He said. So we ... Read More

 Maria's page .... Wow, your  entire story about "anyone  over 40" is ... Read More

 James's page .... I was just  reading your humour pages  and noticed a ... Read More

 Chappy's page ... To get  some peace fae auld reekies  pollution, I ... Read More

 Want to write your own page?



Discover Scotland Quiz




Wee Jock How well do you  know Scotland?

 Let's see - try your  hand at Wee Jocks  Discover Scotland  Quiz .....

 ... and find out if you're an  egghead or a right numptie :-)

  Jock's Discover Scotland Quiz



Money Savers & Discounts




 Get some great money saving  disount passes, including the  Great British Heritage Pass!

Money Savers

Money Saving Discount Passes



Save Money On Rail Travel




 You can buy your train tickets  in advance & save up to 65%

Buy Train Tickets



Haggis Adventures




 HAGGiS Adventures have been  pioneering the best trips in  Scotland for 18-35 year olds!

Haggis Adventures



Some of the above are sponsored ads - Read My Disclosure Policy