Scottish Genealogy Guides & Resources
Here are some handy family history guides and useful websites to help you find your Scottish ancestry.
Family History Made Easy
Join me each month to learn more about your Scottish family history.
We hate SPAM & promise to keep your details safe.
Scottish Surnames
Do you have a Scottish family name and you would like to find out more about its origins, meaning, history and lots of other interesting information?
Click here to visit my growing resource on Scottish Surnames.
I’m aiming to grow this directory of surnames each month, hopefully you will find it useful.
Handy Guides
Download one of these handy free guides to help you grow your family tree:
Starting Your Scottish Family Tree
7 helpful tips to get you started with your family research
A Guide To The ScotlandsPeople Centre
Learn how to use the official government source of genealogical data for Scotland
Useful Websites
Here is a selection of websites that can help you with your Scottish family history research:
Ancestry
is one the largest genealogical database available online. Many Scottish records have been indexed and there is a 14-day free trial.
British Newspaper Archive
Many Scottish newspapers have been digitised and your ancestor may appear in an article, family notice or obituary.
Visit British Newspaper Archive here.
Family Search
is free to register and it has a huge collection of worldwide records, inluding Scottish records. Visit Family Search here.FindmyPast
With over 2 billion records, this genealogical database has indexed Scottish records that may help with your search. You can try their website for free for 14-days.
Forces War Records
Forces War Records is the military genealogy specialist website for the UK, including Scotland. Visit Forces War Records here.GENES REUNITED
Genes Reunited is an online genealogy website with a database of thousands of documents allowing you to build a family tree.
Go to Genes Reunited for more information.
NOT FORGOTTEN
Archive your memories and stories professionally. Create a unique online memorial for your loved one and secure your memories in a real library.
ScotlandsPeople
The ScotlandsPeople website is the official Scottish Government site for searching government records and archives. Visit ScotlandsPeople here.Here is a handy guide on useful websites to help you research your Scottish ancestry.
Upcoming Family History Virtual Events
Just scroll down to find a date that suits you. By the way, this is regularly updated so keep checking.
2 July 2025 (7pm British Time): DNA Absolute Beginners
Cost: £10
In this webinar, you will learn about:
- The key words – busting the jargon
- How you inherit it from your ancestors
- What your ethnicity results mean
- And give examples of the sorts of discoveries you may make when using it to trace your family history
Click here for more information.
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9 July 2025 (1am GMT): Exploring and Using AI in your Family History
Cost: £0
Presented by Hawkesbury Family History Group in Australia, explore how Artificial intelligence can be used in Family History You will learn how to make use of AI from research to data analysis, image generation and more.
Click here for more information.
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16 July 2025 (3pm British Time): Researching Your House History
Cost: £0
This presentation will take you through a variety of useful resources like maps, newspapers and directories to help you find out about your house’s past. How has it changed? Who lived there? What is its context in the local landscape? We will explain how to access these resources – many of which are online and can be accessed at home.
Click here for more information.
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18 July 2025 (2pm British Time): The Origins of the Met’s Office
Cost: £0
You will hear about the expansion of policing and law enforcement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Societal upheavals led to the transition from private thief takers, paid watchmen and prosecution associations to the adoption of regular police forces across England and Wales.
Click here for more information.
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25 July 2025 (2pm British Time): The Great Train Robbery: A Forensic Journey
Cost: £0 – £15
Join Crime Museum curator, Paul Bickley to hear the full story behind the “crime of the century”. Learn how fingerprints from a Monopoly board, a bottle of tomato ketchup, and other everyday items, helped convict gang member Ronnie Biggs, and why forensic evidence is still crucial to the detection of crime 60 years later.
Click here for more information.
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9 September 2025 (12pm British Time): Trace your Criminal Ancestors
Cost: £10
You will learn how to build a picture of your Victorian criminal ancestors and tell their story.
The talk will cover skills and tips including:
- Using court lists, prison records and criminal registers to learn about your ancestor’s criminal past.
- Making the best use of old newspapers to reveal details of court cases.
- Using other sources to build a picture of your ancestor’s life outside crime.
- Revealing hidden family stories by using criminal tattoos.
- Research your ancestor’s criminal networks or gang membership.
- Visiting Victorian crime scene locations.
- Writing up and telling your criminal ancestor’s story.
Click here for more information.
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12 September 2025 (2pm British Time): Tracing your Railway Ancestors
Cost: £0
Discover a collection that includes maps, plans, stock registers, staff files and accident reports. You’ll also learn how to use records to gain insights into the working lives of railway workers to help you with your family history research.
Click here for more information.
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What My Customers Say
“Sarah researched my father’s ancestry and did such a good job! She found him relatives he didn’t know he had, and successfully set him on the path to further find out about his family history. Thank you Sarah! Highly recommended!”
Linda from Edinburgh