The most well-known sources of clan and family research are the online National Archive of Scotland and ScotlandsPeople. However, clan and family societies usually maintain their own archive of their histories and genealogies. Most archives are maintained by individual society members. Other sites range from a display at a local museum or chief’s home to an area of a former church to an entire building. At least ten clans and families maintain their own stand-alone museums and history centers in Scotland. Another source of important clan and family history and artifacts are the libraries of the various Scottish universities.
One option is to utilize the many family history centers that have been established throughout Scotland. These centers play a vital role in genealogical research, and Scottish societies can leverage them effectively. Here are some ways they can utilize family history centers in Scotland:
Historical Collections: Societies can collaborate with centers to preserve clan and family history. This includes digitizing old photographs, documents, and maps related to specific regions.
Transcription projects: Societies and centers can collaborate on transcribing historical records. This benefits both organizations and contributes to preserving Scotland’s heritage.
Collaboration: Family history societies can collaborate with local family history centers to gain access to their extensive collections of records, including birth, marriage, and death records, census data, parish registers, and more.
Shared Databases: Many centers maintain databases of indexed records. Societies can contribute to these databases and benefit from the collective efforts of researchers.
Joint workshops and events: Societies can organize joint workshops or events with family history centers. These could cover topics like record interpretation, using online databases, or specialized research techniques.
Oral history collection: Societies can work with centers to collect oral histories from local communities. These personal narratives enrich family histories.
Online Presence: Societies can promote family history centers through their websites, newsletters, and social media. Highlight the resources available at these centers.
Guidance: Societies can refer beginners to family history centers for guidance. Centers often have experienced staff who can assist with research strategies and techniques.
One-on-One Assistance: Centers can offer personalized assistance to researchers, helping them navigate databases and locate relevant records.
Many local family history societies may be more specific in their scope. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies provides a list of the many local family history societies. These include:
For example, the Aberdeen & North-East Scotland Family History Society assists and promotes the study of genealogy and family history based on the North-East corner of Scotland. This area covers the old counties of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire and Morayshire. Downstairs, the archive room contains information about specific families in the Aberdeenshire area, such as Forbes and Fraser. The library also maintains information from various clan and family societies, such as Clan Campbell Society, Clan Hay Society, Clan Lindsay Society, and Clan MacLachlan Society. Collections such as these help connect people interested in their family heritage to the societies themselves.
Clan and family societies are often the keepers of rich oral traditions, stories, and historical knowledge specific to their clans. By sharing this information with broader heritage societies, they contribute to the continuity of Scotland’s cultural legacy. Collaborating with heritage societies allows them to extend this support network and connect with a wider audience. Sharing histories with heritage societies helps influence cultural practices globally.
If you are Delegate or Alternate of a COSCA Organizational Member, you can access the complete article with many more details here: https://www.cosca.scot/family-history-centers.
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