If you are just getting started researching your family tree you may find the following resources useful.
Scotland’s People
The first place to look for basic family history information for the whole of Scotland is the Scotland’s People website. This gives access to the following records:
- Census returns for the whole of Scotland from 1841 to 1911
- Records of the registration of births, deaths and marriages for the whole of Scotland between 1855 and 2009
- Old parish records for the Established Church for the whole of Scotland between the earliest records kept and 1854
- Some Catholic Church registers
- Wills and testaments 1513 – 1901
Other local records
If the family that you are interested in lived in the Stirling area, the registration of their births, deaths and marriages back to 1855 should be held by the Register Office in Stirling. Staff there can conduct a search on your behalf if you contact them.
You may be able to find out where family members are buried by contacting Stirling Cemeteries service where later burial records for the Stirling area are held. Earlier records of interments for cemeteries in the Stirling Council area are held at the Council Archives.
Parish and kirk session records
Once you have more details about your ancestors, you may want to contact us for other details from the Parish Records or the Kirk Sessions records. A list of what we hold is available online. Please also see our guide to visiting the Archives for the first time.
Using a professional genealogist
If you are looking for a qualified person to undertake this research for you, you would be best contacting a professional genealogist. A list of such people working in Scotland is given on the ASGRA website.