Essential United Kingdom Genealogy Resources
Welcome to your starting point for navigating the rich landscape of British and Scottish family history. Tracing your roots across the United Kingdom requires a combination of verified historical records and reliable expertise. This curated repository bridges that gap by connecting you directly to the UK’s premier digital archives—including vital statutory registers, census returns, and church records—as well as the verified registries of accredited professional genealogists who can help break through your research brick walls. Whether you are conducting independent research or seeking expert guidance, these essential tools are assembled to bring your family’s history into clear focus.
Scottish Archives
- Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives
- Angus Archives
- Argyll and Bute Council Archives
- Ayrshire Archives
- Borders Archives and Local History Centre
- Dumfries and Galloway Archive Centre
- East Lothian – John Gray Centre
- City of Edinburgh Archives
- Fife Council Archives
- Glasgow City Council Archives
- Highland Council Archives
- Inverclyde Council Archives
- Moray Council Archives
- National Archives of Scotland
- Orkney Library and Archive
- Perth and Kinross Archives
- Renfrewshire Archives
- Scottish Business Archives
- Shetland Museum and Archives
- South Lanarkshire Council Archives
- Stirling Council Archives
Scottish Burgh Records
| General | Many of the earlier Scottish Record Society publications are free to view online. Apprentice and Burgess rolls are listed amongst other useful works. Later publications may be purchased from the website. |
| Ayr Burgesses | Ayrshire Archaeological and Natural History Society have made their The Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Ayr 1647-1846 available on line. |
| Canongate Burgesses | The Scottish Record Society has published a List of Canongate Burgesses 1622-1733 which may help to trace an ancestor and provide useful information as to parents or wife. |
| Dumfries | Dumfries Town Chamberlains’ Accounts 1793-1801 and Dumfries Dean of Guild Plans 1892-1974 are available on this site. |
| Dundee | The Friends of Dundee City Archives have created a very useful resource including indexes to: Burgess Rolls 1513-2009, 1801 census, Register of Deeds 1661-1670, Sasines 1831, Aliens List 1917-1948, Absentee Voters 1919, and Register of Milk Suppliers 1883-1922. |
| Edinburgh | For those who have ancestors with property in Edinburgh between 1770 and 1826 the Edinburgh Dean of Guild Records may contain applications to make changes to their property. This site contains extracts from the Court papers, and where included, images of the original plans. |
| Edinburgh Apprentices | The Register of Edinburgh Apprentices 1583-1666 published by the Scottish Record Society contains much information on those boys entering a trade in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Apprentices 1666-1700; and in the second half of the online book 1701-1755. |
| Edinburgh Burgesses and Guild Bretheren | The Scottish Record Society has published a list of Edinburgh Burgesses and Guild Bretheren 1406-1700. The work contains useful information on trade, date of admission, and often information about the father or the wife of a burgess. 1761-1841. A-H only. |
| Glasgow | The Burgesses and Guild Bretheren of Glasgow 1573-1750; 1751-1846; |
United Kingdom Directories
| Scottish Directories | The National Library of Scotland currently now has over 600 Scottish Directories to view or download on-line. These directories cover all the major centres of population in Scotland. |
| English Directories | For online directories other than Scottish directories the best site is Historical Directories. |
| Assorted Scottish Directories | This site contains a collection of various Scottish Directories that may be read on-line or downloaded: Directory to Noblemen’s and Gentlemen’s seats, villages etc. in Scotland; National Commercial Directory for Scotland; West Coast Directories; Slater’s Royal National Commercial Directories for Scotland. |
Scottish Emigration Records
| Aberdeen University Database | Aberdeen University has an on-line Emigration database. This database allows the researcher to do a search on more than just a name. There are a variety of fields into which search criteria may be entered.. |
| Mormon Emigration to America | Mormon Migration is a searchable website with details of 19th and 20th century migration information on thousands of people. |
| Ellis Island | The Ellis Island Foundation Inc. also gives access to the records of people entering America through Ellis Island between 1820 and 1892. |
| Australia | Australian Shipping 1788-1968 has much information on departures and arrivals as well as passenger lists. Information on 19th Century South Australian shipping will be found at this website. South Australian Shipping and Migration information is to be found on this website. New South Wales has an Immigration website that contains Assisted Shipping Lists 1838-1896 as well as information on: crew, arrivals, convicts, departures, military and shipwrecks. The Tasmanian State Library has documents on-line relating to arrivals there. |
| Australian Convicts | Details of convicts and much more of interest for those with Australian relations will be found on Cora Num’s website. |
| Canada | The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is a searchable database of passenger ships calling at Pier 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia. |
| China | Many people from the UK went to China to seek their fortune. Bristol University has an online collection with information about men and women of many different professions and ages, who lived and worked in China between the 1850s and 1940s |
| Emigration to Edinburgh | An Index to the Aliens Registers is held at Edinburgh City Archives with a downloadable pdf file that covers the period 1798-1825. |
| From Scotland | The National Library of Scotland has created web pages containing information on their holdings and a large collection of links to sites with information on emigration. |
| Immigrant Servants | The Immigrant Servants database aims to identify all indentured servants, convict servants and redemptioners who travelled to the New World between 1607 and 1820. |
| Passenger Lists | Scottish prisoners were transported to America on the John and Sara in 1652. |
| South Africa | Genealogy World has a great deal about South Africa and European involvement there. Ships arriving and departing Cape Town has useful passenger list information and covers the period 1842-1881, 1951. |
Scottish Kirk Records
| Dumfries and Galloway | Dumfries (1689-1838), Troqueer (1698-1771) and Mouswald (1640-1659) Kirk Session records & Presbytery Minutes are on Dumfries and Galloway Historical Indexes |
| Inverness-shire | A digitised copy of the 1902 book by Alexander Mitchell, Inverness Kirk Session Records 1661-1880 is a valuable source for researchers. |
Scottish Maps from the 14th Century Forward
| Scottish Maps | The National Library of Scotland has a very useful collection of Scottish maps on their website. The maps range in date from 1560-1930. Some of the Town Plans and views are excellent . |
| Moll Atlas | Moll’s plates of 1723 were used to create a Scottish Atlas in 1745. The maps have been digitised and a CD of the images is available through the Society shop. |
| Gough Map | The Gough map is one of the earliest maps of Great Britain dating to the late 14th century. It is unusal as the east is to the top. It is interesting to see where in Scotland was considered important at this time. To locate places on the map select the Digital Map tab, then the Browse tab below that. The dot on the red markers may be clicked to reveal more information. |
| 1827 Lothian's Counties of Scotland Maps | The 1827 Lothian’s Counties of Scotland Maps refers to a celebrated, multi-volume atlas compiled and published by Edinburgh geographer John Lothian. Often bound in a three-volume set, the maps were originally issued between 1826 and 1830 and provide a highly detailed, county-by-county geographical survey of Scotland. |
Scottish Tax records
| Aberdeenshire | List of pollable people in the shire of Aberdeen 1696, volume 1 and 2. |
| Ayrshire Hearth Tax | An overview of the Hearth Tax in Ayrshire 1691 and contains that for Maybole.
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| Scottish Farm Horse Tax 1797-1798 | The Farm Horse Tax rolls list the names of the owner and number of horses and mules used in husbandry or trade in 1797-1798.The originals are at The National Archives of Scotland, repertory E326/10.
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| Clock and Watch Tax 1797-1798 | These Clock and Watch Tax rolls show the owners as well as the number of clocks and watches owned plus the tax totals. Only two of three volumes has survived. |
| General Information | The National Archives of Scotland has a useful summary of Scottish Tax records that they hold. The type, repertory number and period covered are given. More taxation information is available at Scotlands Places and the site contains more general information about place in Scotland. |
Scottish Vital Records - Baptisms, Marriages, Death, Burial, and Mortcloth Records
| General | |
| Births, Marriages and Deaths | Graham and Emma Maxwell have some searchable databases of Non-OPR Birth, Marriage and Death records on their website. |
| Dunfermline | Dunfermline Parish Registers 1561-1700. A Scottish Record Society Publication. |
| Melrose | Melrose Register of Baptisms and Proclamations and Minutes of Session 1727-1741 and Mortuary Rolls 1642-1820. |
| St Andrews | Register of Births & Marriages for the Episcopalian Congregation of St Andrews 1722-1787. |
| Births / Baptisms | |
| Bairnie and Tillydesk | Register of Baptisms at Bairnie and Tillydesk 1763-1801. |
| Paternity Cases | Graham & Emma Maxwell have a searchable database of Sheriff Court Paternity Decrees on their website. |
| Marriage | |
| Canongate | Parish of Holyrood House or Canongate Register of Marriages 1564-1800, M-R only. |
| Edinburgh | Edinburgh Register of Marriages 1595-1700. Edinburgh Marriages 1701-1750. Edinburgh Marriages 1751-1800. |
| Death and Burial | |
| Edinburgh | Greyfriars Register of Interments, Edinburgh 1658-1700. |
| Edinburgh | Monumental Inscriptions in St Cuthbert’s Churchyard, Edinburgh, older portion. |
| Wills and Testaments | |
| The Scottish Record Society volumes of indexes to Scottish wills are available online. |