Scottish Records
Scottish records are generally more detailed than their English counterparts and can be transcribed by our researchers, thus saving the expense of obtaining certificates.
Take a look at our Scottish Research – Sample Report page
Statutory Records (1855 onwards)
The system for tracing ancestors in Scotland is, in many ways, different to that in England. For compulsory or statutory registration of births, marriages and deaths, there are three main areas where they differ:-
1 - Compulsory Registration Date
Compulsory registration did not start until 1855 in Scotland, whereas it started in 1837 in England. It is not clear why Scotland was so much later, but one of the benefits is that they could learn from the English system. This resulted in records that are more detailed than their English equivalents.
2 - Accessing the Records
All Scottish birth, marriage and death records are held at New Register House in Edinburgh. They are fully indexed and, unlike the English system, our researchers can view either digitised images or microfiche copies of the actual records. This means that they can check the record is the correct one and transcribe the details without having to purchase a copy of it. Copies both certified and uncertified can also be purchased if required.
3 - Information on the Records
In general the Scottish records give more information than their English equivalents. For example, a Scottish marriage record gives the maiden surname of the mother of both the bride and groom. The Scottish death certificate is even more useful to the genealogist. It gives the names of both parents of the deceased, including the maiden surname of the mother.
Old Parochial Registers (before 1855)
Prior to 1855, the main sources of information are the Old Parochial Registers (OPRs). Microfilms of these are available to our researchers at New Register House. OPRs for some parishes go back as far as the 1500s, but most begin around 1700. There are many limitations compared with the statutory records, the main ones being:-
It was not compulsory to register and many events (up to 70% in some areas) were not recorded.
Many of the registers have been lost, destroyed or are unreadable.
They only cover Church of Scotland events, not the secession churches or other denominations.
There are very few death records and these are not indexed.
They provide a lot less information than the statutory records - in particular they seldom give information on parents names on a marriage record.
Because of these constraints, it can be almost impossible to locate an individual in the OPRs if the only information you have is their name and an estimated birth date. This is particularly true if the individual’s surname is a common one.
On the other hand, if you do have an accurate date of birth or the parents’ full names, then it is certainly worth checking the OPRs as they can provide further valuable information.
The OPRs are always worth checking for records of marriages if the names of both the bride and groom are known.
Census Returns
As with England, a detailed census has been taken in Scotland every 10 years since 1841 (with a single exception during the Second World War). The information is currently available for the years 1841 to 1901. The 1841 census provides slightly less detail, in particular it did not record an individual's birthplace.
Other Sources
There are many other archive sources available to our researchers, the following list covers just a few:-
The National Archives of Scotland - which holds amongst many other things, wills, inventories, Kirk Session records for the Church of Scotland, records of other church denominations including the Catholic Church, records of all property transactions and many family archives.
The National Library of Scotland, which holds many family and estate manuscripts, and the Map library which has detailed Ordnance Survey maps of Scotland going back to 1851 as well as many other Scottish maps.
The library of the Scottish Genealogy Society, which holds, in particular, many unpublished as well as published monumental inscriptions.
Many local libraries archives and Family History Society collections which all have their own unique collections of information useful for the genealogist
Click Here to request a Scottish Research Assessment
