Ancestral Research

Explore the people and places of your past

We all want to know who we are and where we come from. Understanding our ancestry helps us understand ourselves, and knowing where you come from can create a strong desire to go there and walk in the footsteps of your ancestors.

Use our two online courses to help you on your journey of discovery into Scottish ancestry and, if you are a business or organisation, provide the best possible service to homecoming Scots from all around the world.

Scottish Ancestral Research Online provides an introduction to carrying out ancestral research using Scotland's excellent online resources. As well as starting you out on your research the course helps you plan a journey to your ancestral homeland.

Ancestral Tourism is aimed at businesses and organisations providing services to ancestral visitors. It provides an introduction to ancestral tourism and the AncestralScotland initiative. The course provides the essential knowledge required to get the best from VisitScotland's Ancestral Welcome scheme.

Each course involves between twelve and fourteen hours of study and costs £30 for six months access, or £50 for the two.