My ancestor emigrated from Scotland. How can I trace information about him/her?

If you have not already done so, you should check out the Knowledge Base family history pages. These give advice on how to start tracing Scottish ancestors and some things you should bear in mind.

Information you will need.

Before coming to Scotland to research an emigrant ancestor, you should gather as much information about him or her from the country he or she emigrated to.

To trace your ancestor in Scotland, you will need to know his or her name, when he or she left Scotland, and as much associated information as you can assemble, such as the name of the parish he or she came from or married in, the names of other members of the family in Scotland, and your ancestor’s occupation.

Join a family history society.

Before coming to Scotland or hiring a Scottish researcher, you should consider joining a family history society. There are many of these in different parts of Scotland. Their members undertake a small amount of research on behalf of members abroad, and this help (by experienced local genealogists) may be crucial to tracing a family tree quickly and efficiently in Scotland. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) is the umbrella organisation which provides links and contact details for all the family history societies on their website. <https://safhs.org.uk/> [accessed 24 April 2024]

Passenger Lists and Immigration records

Try to obtain information about the journey to the new country from passenger lists or immigration records in the country of arrival. Look at the Knowledge Base entry on Passenger Lists for further information.

Transportation

If your ancestor was sentenced to transportation, after being convicted of a criminal offence, look at the FAQs How do I find the trial records and other records of someone transported to Australia or New Zealand? and How do I find the trial record of someone transported to North America? for further information.