I have spent the last several years researching my Scottish heritage and have learned so much that I felt compelled to share tips and advice to make it easier for others who follow the same path.
My ancestors were Scottish and there is an old saying that if all the Scots who left the homeland were to return, Scotland would sink under the weight. This is certainly true in my family where family members migrated to USA, Canada and Australia.
If you have ever considered researching your family history I encourage you to do it. It is one of the most exciting, rewarding and addictive things you will do. Since the inception of the World Wide Web in 1989 (thanks to Tim Berners-Lee) it has never been easier to research your family history. Records, documents and photographs are accessible after only a few keystrokes, and research which would previously have taken many years can now be achieved in only a few months.
Sounds easy and fun but as always there is a proviso; be aware that the financial cost of research can quickly mount up: by purchasing software to catalogue your research; a membership fee to one of the many online family tree websites; or paying a usage fee when you want to access a record. Regardless of whether you are doing online research or ‘on location’ research, keep your credit card close by.
Although 90% of my focus has been on Scottish research with the remaining 10% pertaining to Australian, Canadian and American records, most of the basic methods are the same regardless of the area or country in which you are searching.
This guide has been written by an amateur genealogist with reference to my personal experience of researching my family tree in the Midlothian area of Scotland and Edinburgh, when it was known as Edinburghshire. It offers guidance in easy to understand terms and web links to make your research in Southern Scotland a little faster.
My ancestors were Scottish and there is an old saying that if all the Scots who left the homeland were to return, Scotland would sink under the weight. This is certainly true in my family where family members migrated to USA, Canada and Australia.
If you have ever considered researching your family history I encourage you to do it. It is one of the most exciting, rewarding and addictive things you will do. Since the inception of the World Wide Web in 1989 (thanks to Tim Berners-Lee) it has never been easier to research your family history. Records, documents and photographs are accessible after only a few keystrokes, and research which would previously have taken many years can now be achieved in only a few months.
Sounds easy and fun but as always there is a proviso; be aware that the financial cost of research can quickly mount up: by purchasing software to catalogue your research; a membership fee to one of the many online family tree websites; or paying a usage fee when you want to access a record. Regardless of whether you are doing online research or ‘on location’ research, keep your credit card close by.
Although 90% of my focus has been on Scottish research with the remaining 10% pertaining to Australian, Canadian and American records, most of the basic methods are the same regardless of the area or country in which you are searching.
This guide has been written by an amateur genealogist with reference to my personal experience of researching my family tree in the Midlothian area of Scotland and Edinburgh, when it was known as Edinburghshire. It offers guidance in easy to understand terms and web links to make your research in Southern Scotland a little faster.