Your Scottish ancestry

Are you tracing your Scottish ancestry? Over the centuries, thousands of Scots emigrated to countries around the world in search of a fresh start or the chance to make their fortunes. Today people across the globe can trace their roots back to Scotland. Our friends at Visit Scotland have published a fantastic online guide to help those of you tracing your Scottish ancestry and wanting to learn more about your Scottish family roots.

A spokesperson for Visit Scotland just how easy it can be to trace your Scottish ancestry. “Family history is very accessible in Scotland. The records and archives of births, marriages, deaths, burials and many more aspects of daily life here in Scotland are acknowledged as being among the most comprehensive in the world. Our handy guide will point you in the right direction to begin your fascinating ancestral journey of discovery.”

Nothing will bring your Scottish ancestry to life more than actually visiting Scotland itself, to walk in the footsteps of your forbears. To help you with your research, the Visit Scotland guide focuses on key steps in your journey. To summarise, these steps are outlined in this article. Naturally you will want to read the guide in full, which we highly recommend. Plus the many other useful resources on Visit Scotland’s website.

Getting started

This section has some top tips and useful advice to help you start your journey of discovery. It also has hints and suggestions about how to record the information you discover.

Photographs of your Scottish ancestors can be a useful starting point.

Using the Scotland’s People Website

The Visit Scotland guide gives some great advice on how to get started with your online research, by using the ‘Scotland’s People’ website.

Online resources

There is a wealth of online advice available for the Scottish ancestry enthusiast, and the guide gives some great advice on where you can look.

Research in Scotland

If you are planning a trip to Scotland, to extend your research, the Visit Scotland guide has some great suggestions for you. For example, there is information about the Kirk session records, libraries, societies, archives and family history centres.

Experience the life your ancestors may have lived

Visit Scotland’s guide has some fantastic inspiration when it comes to following in the footsteps of your forbears. For example, you’ll learn all about the ways in which Scotland has changed over the centuries. Plus, discover all about tartans, clans, and castles.

Events and links

You’ll discover everything you need to know about special events, plus places to stay to ensure you enjoy your visit. There are also plenty of useful links to help you on your Scottish ancestral journey.

Discover the history of your surname or clan name 

Here at Hall of Names, we specialise in surname scrolls and clan history scrolls, and love to help our customers learn all about their Scottish roots. For example, we have blog articles to help you plan a clan gathering or learn all about your Scottish surname. We highly recommend the Visit Scotland site as the place to start your own journey of family discovery. And if you’d like to order a print to learn all about your own surname, just type the name into the family name search at the top of this page. You will discover if we have the name, and we can arrange delivery of your own surname scroll.

Clan history scrolls complement your family research

Have you learnt anything about your own Scottish roots? Please do share your special stories with us! Discover A Brief History of Scotland.