If your ancestors came from Scotland you could be in luck as there is a vast digitised record of birth, marriage, death (BMDs) and census information at your disposal. Unlike records in England, you have direct access to the statutory and scanned parish record books, rather than the indexes.
Records usually contain parents' information, making it much easier to link BMDs together.
Whilst many recent records are closed on the internet to protect the living, there is no such restriction if you visit the the Scotlands
People
Centre, Edinburgh in person.
Here, gathered together, is a vast amount of family history and genealogical information from its partner organisations dating back almost 500 years. The records are being added to all the time including non conformist church records and are available to view and print from computer screens.
At busy times of the year you are well advised to book ahead.
Seeing your family history in the context of the land is unbelievably satisfying - even if it had been one of hardship - you will swell with pride and probably learn more about yourself.
About your Ancestral Tour
Whilst I can explain much of the social history of your ancestors there are times when searching the basic records just isn't enough and you may wish to consider employing a professional genealogist. These people are highly skilled and can save many hours of fruitless searches.
Your Journey of Discovery
We spend the day at the Scotlands
People
Centre - building your family tree and then set off to find the locations of significant events in your ancestors' lives. Who knows, you may discover distant cousins still living in the area.
Useful Resources
Tip: start here - Packed with useful information on where to start, records available, tartans and Scotland's history
Visitscotland/ancestryGeneral Records OfficeThe National Archives of ScotlandScotlandsPeople Centre