Ancestor Hunting

Ancestor Hunting

Are you a Cameron or a Campbell, Mackenzie or Macdonald? If so, you may be one of the more than 25 million people of Scottish descent around the world. It was the Highland clearances of the 18th and 19th century, in which tenant farmers were driven from their homes and replaced with sheep, that started the mass emigration to North America and Australia. Before or during a trip, you can do a little geneaological research or pursue your family tree more seriously.

Start at VisitScotland's Web site, www.ancestralscotland.com, for information about clans and surnames, books, and family history societies. The site steers you to key sources, such as www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, the official government source of genealogical data; there's a charge for using that service.

You may want to do research at Edinburgh's General Register Office for Scotland (3 W. Register St. 0131/314-4449 for booking. www.gro-scotland.gov.uk). The fee for research here, based on how long you spend there, ranges from £10 for part of a day to £17 for a full day (a week costs £65). Space is limited, and no reservations are taken for searches of less than a day; but some places are available each day on a first-come, first-served basis.

There are plans to open a Family History Centre in Edinburgh in 2006; check with VisitScotland. Willing to pay for help? Companies such as Scottish Ancestral Trail (www.scottish-ancestral-trail.co.uk) do the research and plan a trip around your family history. Throughout Scotland, you can check bookstores for information and visit clan museums and societies.