Scottish Genealogy (Fourth Edition)

Book excerpt: This fully revised and updated fourth edition of Scottish Genealogy is a comprehensive guide to tracing your family history in Scotland. Written by one of the most authoritative figures on the subject, the work is based on established genealogical practice and is designed to exploit the rich resources that Scotland has to offer. After all, this country has possibly the most complete and best-kept set of records and other documents in the world. Addressing the questions of DNA, palaeography and the vexed issues of clans, families and tartans, and with a new chapter on DNA and genetic genealogy, Bruce Durie presents a fascinating insight into discovering Scottish ancestors. He covers both physical and electronic sources, explains how to get beyond the standard ‘births, marriages and deaths plus census’ research, and reminds the reader that there are more tools than just the internet. Comparisons are made with records in England, Ireland and elsewhere, and all of the 28 million people who claim Scottish ancestry worldwide will find something in this book to challenge and stimulate. Informative and entertaining, this new edition is the definitive reader-friendly guide to genealogy and family history in Scotland.