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Scotland Genealogy - Some Contacts for Tracing Your Scottish Roots

Since the Clearances in the 18th Century, when many Scots were uprooted and left their home country for foreign lands, you can probably find a Scot in just about every corner of Planet Earth.

Scots have always travelled and made their homes everywhere from South Africa to New Zealand, Canada and Australia to the United States of America.

Naturally many are curious about their Scottish roots, so I have included here some addresses and websites that may be able to help in that quest.

General Register Office for Scotland
New Register House
3 West Register Street
Edinburgh EH1 3YT

Telephone: 0131 314-4433

www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

Records kept here include Statutory Registers of births, marriages, deaths from 1855 to the present day and also The Old Parish Registers (1533-1854) and the ten-yearly census from 1841-1901. The registration of births marriages and deaths became compulsory on January 1st, 1855, and before that records were kept by ministers of the Church of Scotland. The oldest documents date back to 1553 but are not a complete record, but before 1855, many marriages and births were not recorded at all.

National Archives of Scotland
Register House
2 Princes Street
Edinburgh EH1 3YY

Telephone: 0131-535-1334

www.nas.gov.uk

If you go there in person you can use the Historical Search Room with no charge. It is open from 9am to 4.45pm Monday to Friday but bring some form of ID with you.

Scottish Genealogy Society Library & Family History Centre
15 Victoria Terrace,
Edinburgh EH1 2JL

Telephone: 0131-220-3677

www.scotsgenealogy.com

This is the largest library of gravestone inscriptions in the world.

The International Genealogical Index
...which was put together by the Mormon Church and includes Scottish baptisms and marriages from 1553-1875.

www.familysearch.com

Scotland's People Website

Old Parish registers and Statutory registers up to 100 years ago - 75 years ago for deaths.

www.Scotlandspeople.gov.uk

GenUKI

www.genuki.org.uk

This covers the whole of the United Kingdom..

Orkney - For those whose ancestors hail from Orkney

www.ancestralorkney.com

Ancestors from the Isle of Skye

www.skye-roots.co.uk

Ancestors from Dumfries and Galloway

www.dgfhs.org.uk

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