Search Scotland, Red Books of Scotland
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Delve into the Red Books of Scotland to discover the lineages of hundreds of Scottish families, spanning from the medieval period to the modern day. This renowned multi-volume genealogical and historical resource is considered an essential reference for historians and genealogists researching family histories in Scotland. Whether researching family lines in the Highlands or Lowlands of Scotland, the series spans the entire nation, giving a fascinating insight into the hundreds of magnates, gentry and land-owning families of Scotland over the centuries. Explore the collection now to see if the Red Books hold the key to uncovering new generations or previously unknown branches of your Scottish family tree.
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What can these records tell me?
Each record includes a transcript and the option to view the original image from the Red Book of Scotland. While details can vary for each record, you can expect to find a combination of the following facts:
- Name
- Title
- Birth year
- Birth date
- Year of death
- Death date
- Spouse details
- Parents’ names
- Family
Discover more about these records
This collection is brought to you with thanks to the brilliant work of Gordon MacGregor, who has researched and compiled the Red Books of Scotland over a span of more than 30 years.
The Red Books of Scotland are a monumental genealogical and historical reference resource, that detail the lineages of hundreds of Scottish families from the medieval era through to modern day. The name itself is a nod to ancient Gaelic culture, where genealogical information was regularly recorded in a “Leabhar Dearg” (which translates to ‘Red Book’). The Red Books have been compiled from provable, primary-source documentation – primarily through the use of land records and other sources such as judicial records, diaries and chronicles.
This collection spans hundreds of years of Scottish family history from as early as 1100 through to 2016.
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