Are you one of the 40 million people with Scottish heritage?
According to the Scottish government, there are up to 40 million people around the world who consider themselves to have Scottish heritage. Are you one of them? About 8% of the US population, 15% of Canadians and 9% of Australians are of Scottish descent. Connecting with your roots is hugely important and if you’re interested in finding out more in where your ancestors came from, here are some tips to get you started.
Where Do I Come From in Scotland?
Some people aren’t interested in pinpointing where in Scotland their ancestors are from and just want to enjoy the country as a whole. Nothing wrong with that approach at all, but if you do want to identify the places your ancestors lived, worked and went to school, then do the research well in advance of travel. Unravelling your family history is not always easy and starting the work well in advance will leave time to deal with any brick walls you uncover. Alternatively, get in touch and I can help with both the research and planning a trip.
Remember that not all records are online, and making contact with local archives or family history societies can throw up interesting new possibilities of records which you might want to explore in person.
Planning your Scottish Heritage trip
Although Scotland is a relatively small country compared with the countries your ancestors may have emigrated to, it can still take the best part of a day to drive from the main transport hubs of Glasgow or Edinburgh to the north of the country. And that’s before adding in extra time needed to take ferries to the outlying islands. Planning your trip in advance lets you make the most of the limited time you have. Seek advice online in genealogy or family history groups, speak to family members still living in the UK, or get professional help to look over your itinerary to suggest improvements.
Don’t Try to Do It All
When you’re travelling a long way to get to Scotland, the temptation might be to cram as much into a short time as you possibly can. The problem with this approach is that you constantly feel you’re rushing from one thing to the next, always with an eye on the clock. You would have a far more enjoyable holiday by trying to do a bit less, spending more time in each location. Build in some down time, giving you flexibility to spend more time in places you enjoy.
Comentarios