You take the high road, and I’ll take the low—and your family tree will be in Scotland before you know it. This book will help you uncover your Scottish heritage, from identifying your immigrant ancestor to tracking down records in the old country. With help from Scottish genealogy expert Amanda Epperson, you’ll learn about church records, civil registrations, censuses and more, plus how to find them in online databases and in archives.

Whether your ancestors hail from the Highlands or the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, this book will help you grow your family tree in Scotland.

What’s Inside

The Family Tree Scottish Genealogy Guide features:

• Basic information on how to start family history research, including identifying and tracing immigrant ancestors
• Step-by-steps for finding and using records from both the United States and Scotland
• Crash-course guides to Scottish history, geography, surnames and naming conventions

Who Should Get This Book

You’ll love The Family Tree Scottish Genealogy Guide if…

• You just discovered Scottish heritage in your family tree and want to know how to learn more about your ancestors
• You've hit a brick wall in your Scottish research and need some new leads and techniques
• You're fascinated by Scottish culture and history want to know more

Excerpt: Sample Tips

Here are some tips you’ll find in The Family Tree Scottish Genealogy Guide:

1. Learn your Mc’s and Mac’s. Scots often use Mc and Mac in surnames to indicate “son of.” Some are associated with the father’s given name, while others are associated with his occupation. The spellings were used interchangeably, so someone might appear in one record as McPherson and in other as MacPherson.
2. Celebrate your heritage. Once you’ve determined your Scottish ancestry, be sure to take advantage of the many opportunities to celebrate your Scottish heritage in the United States. Scottish heritage societies across the country through festivals such as the Highland Games, which feature traditional Scottish sports, music and food. You can also take part in a Burns Night (January 25) supper, or join a parade on National Tartan Day (April 6).
3. Look for records groupings. Some parishes kept separate volumes or sections for each record type: baptisms, marriages and deaths. Other parishes mixed all the entries up, so a marriage record for one couple might be followed by the baptisms of several children of the parish. Be on the lookout for these inconsistencies, and be flexible in your search as a result.

Contents of The Family Tree Scottish Genealogy Guide:

Introduction

Part One: Linking Your Family Tree to Scotland

Chapter 1: Discovering Your Scottish Heritage

Chapter 2: Jump-Starting Your Scottish Research

Chapter 3: Identifying Your Immigrant Ancestor

Part Two: Getting to Know the Old Country

Chapter 4: Understanding Scottish History

Chapter 5: Understanding Scottish Geography

Chapter 6: Deciphering Scottish Names and Handwriting

Part Three: Tracing Your Family in Scotland

Chapter 7: Civil Registration

Chapter 8: Church Records

Chapter 9: Census Records

Chapter 10: Wills and Property Records

Chapter 11: Military and Occupational Records

Chapter 12: Other Records

Part Four: Advanced Sources and Strategies

Chapter 13: Putting It All Together

Chapter 14: What to Do When You Get Stuck

Appendix A: Websites, Publications, and Archives

Appendix B: Societies

Appendix C: Latin Word List