Scotland Research Guide

Books

General Interest

Scotland's Past in Action Series

A series of books published by the National Museums of Scotland covering various aspects of life in the history of Scotland. Some of these are available through Amazon.com and other on-line sellers.

Brown, Catherine, Feeding Scotland, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1996.

Burnett, John, Sporting Scotland, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1995.

Burnett, John, Scots in Sickness and in Health, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1997.

Dodds, Alastair, Scottish Bicycles and Tricycles, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1999.

Gauldie, Enid, Spinning and Weaving, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 2007.

McGregor, Iona, Getting Married in Scotland, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 2007.

MacLean, Colin, Going to Church, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1997.

McLeod, Mona, Leaving Scotland, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1996.

Mitchell, Ian R., Walking Through Scotland's History, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 2001.

Simpson, Eric, Going on Holiday, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1997.

Ranson, P. J. G., Scotland's Inland Waterways: Canals, Rivers and Lochs, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1999.

Sprott, Gavin, Farming, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1995. 84 pages

Tarrant, Naomi, Going to Bed, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1998.

Withrington, Donald, Going to School, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 1997.

Wood, James L., Scottish Engineering: The Machine Makers, Edinburgh:National Museums of Scotland, 2000.

Useful Links

• Scottish Naming Practices
• Family Search - pre-1855 baptism and marriage records extracted in International Genealogical Index
• ScotlandsPeople is the official goverment genealogy website. While a search showing the surname count in various records is free, registration and a fee is required for further access. Available indicies include pre-1855 baptisms and marriages, births from 1855 to 1905, marriages from 1855 to 1930, deaths from 1855 to 1955, and census records for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901. Images are also available for census data and post-1855 births, marriages, and deaths. Searching the Will and Testament index covering 1513 to 1901 is free, but registration is required.
• FreeCEN Scotland is the website for the Scotland Free Census Project, part of the UK Free Census Project. It is a volunteer effort to transcribe Scottish Census data. Coverage is best for the earlier censuses, with 1841 having the most coverage to date.
• Source:Ancestry.com - 1841 Scotland Census
• Source:Ancestry.com - 1851 Scotland Census
• Source:Ancestry.com - 1861 Scotland Census
• Scots Origins offers free searches for Scottish place names, free searches of the International Genealogical Index for births (1553-1875) and marriages (1553-1875), and articles on Scottish family history. Transcriptions of birth, marriage, death, or census records may be ordered for a fee.
• The Scottish Genealogy Society
• A Valuable Guide to Scots-Irish Sources
• Scottish Post Office directories]Over 700 digitised directories covering most of Scotland and dating from 1773 to 1911 are available here for you to use.