Scotland has long been a country of rich history and heritage and has an estimated 50 million people from around the world who can lay claim to having Scots ancestry. In order to capitalise on the increasing interest in tracing family roots, spurred on by shows like BBC’s “Who do you think you are?” and countless radio shows, VisitScotland has launched a guide to tracing Scottish ancestry which will highlight the unusual and surprising places people can go to learn more about their ancestors. Launched to coincide with St Andrews Day, the guide is available to download from here from 30th November 2011. (Visitors downloading the guide will also be able to take advantage of over 350 money-off vouchers on accommodation offers on things to see, do, eat and drink across Scotland.)
The guide comes in an easy to use map format and is suitable for those just starting to trace their routes to the more advanced and experienced. It highlights a mix of Scottish visitor attractions, museums, libraries and research centres across the country and includes everything from the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, Perth Museum and Art Gallery and Verdant Works in Dundee to a range of research centres including the Scotland’s People Centre based in Edinburgh, where the likes of Billy Connolly, Sir Alex Ferguson, Lulu and Gordon Ramsay have all had their ancestry traced. Also featured is the Highland Council Genealogy Centre in Inverness and the Mitchell Library in Glasgow.
Researching Scottish roots and ancestry couldn’t be simpler, it’s as easy as writing your name, date and place of birth and the family tree has started; adding in family members helps extend it and the new VisitScotland guide and Scotland’s world class depth of ancestral records showcases some of Scotland’s must visit genealogy and history hotspots, including:
Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, Inverness – There are many different stories about Culloden. Visitors often have their own views on the battle, the events that led up to it and those that flowed from it. Now, 250 years on, Culloden is still a site that connects visitors intimately with the past.
New Lanark World Heritage Centre, South Lanarkshire – Founded by David Dale in 1785, the village became famous as a model industrial community under the enlightened management of Dale’s son-in-law, Robert Owen, from 1800-1825. Owen transformed life in New Lanark with ideas and opportunities which were at least a hundred years ahead of their time. Child labour and corporal punishment were abolished, and villagers were provided with decent homes, schools and evening classes, free health care, and affordable food.
National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh – Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no surprise that Scotland is home to plethora of museums and heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned collections in Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres that specialise in the history of local communities.
Scottish Borders Archive and Local History Centre – Visit this centre to find out about Borders family history, communities, industries and people. Discover how the Scottish Borders has evolved and developed through the centuries in the state of the art archive facility.
Useful links:
Hotels in Scotland
B&Bs in Scotland
Self-catering in Scotland
Camping in Scotland
Tourist attractions in Scotland
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