Researching your family’s history while traveling to the UK is a great way to spend a holiday and get to know your family before they immigrated to New Zealand, Australia, Canada or wherever they decide to settle.
It’s important to do your homework before you get on a plane. Take photocopies of the documents and write down what you are trying to find out. If you are young, ask your older relatives for information.
I have made many trips to Scotland to do family history research and therefore know the country well. The first place you should go is the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. There is a family history center there with incredible resources and, above all, it is free to access. There is also free internet access as is the case with every library I visited in Scotland. The Mitchell Library is easy to get to there. Just hop on a train at Queen’s Cross station and get off at Charing Cross, which is just one stop away. Actually, it’s not far from the Hotel de la Juventud.
Stirling Library is also an interesting place to research, especially if you have ancestors in the area, but even if you don’t there is plenty of information available by viewing births, deaths and marriages on their computers.
Family history societies are also a great place to visit. They are all over Scotland and we recommend that you visit the branch in the area of Scotland where your ancestors came from. The Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society on Aberdeen’s King Street has many free resources with helpers willing to help you in your research. They are still worth a visit, even if your ancestors don’t come from the Grampian region. A donation is welcome.
Another angle you can try is contacting the various councils about cemeteries where your ancestors may be buried. The tombstone may throw up some interesting clues.
Museums can be interesting places to visit because they give you an insight into how your ancestors lived. One such place that I highly recommend you visit is the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore. It’s a bit like a recreation of a small estate during the 19th century. Any train or bus traveling between Glasgow and Inverness will stop at Newtonmore.
For more information on how to research your family tree, visit www.familytreenz.weebly.com