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Scottish Ancestors

Touring Scotland next September with Rick Steves then plan to stay a week or so
looking for places my ancestors lived. Any recommendations as to organizations
that might help. I have traced my family (Macdonald) male ancestors to the late 1700s
in Northumberland, just south of the border.

Posted by
5678 posts

Scotland has a lot of great records and a lot are online. You might want to check the visitscotland site. Here's the government site. Here's another site to try. I remember looking on Orkney for info and finding info quickly about my grandfather's father. There are message board genealogy research sites. I googled Robert Tait Orkney Island immigrated 1906 and this board popped up immediately. There were other useful links as well.

Have fun.

As for the MacDonald, one tends to think of Skye and the western part of Scotland as their traditional home. But families went all over the place. You might want to pick up Fraser's book Steel Bonnets which has lovely information about the border area. My grandfather, a Tait, is from Orkney, but I found out in that book that two Tait bothers were wandering the border in the late 1500's! History is amazing.

Pam

Posted by
237 posts

Hi John
I too am a MacDonald, of ClanRanald, and will be visiting Scotland next Sept to visit the lands my ancestors lived. Here are some sites I have used for research in addition to the one's Pam provided:

http://www.electricscotland.com
http://www.seallam.com/coleisthu.htm
http://www.clandonald-heritage.com
http://www.clandonald-heritage.com

I think the second Clan Donald link will lead you to a map of the clan lands. If you double click on the map it will open up to a more readable version.
Good luck in your search.

I have only been able to go back to about 1815 to find my Great Grandfather using sources in Canada. Now I have to switch to the Scottish site.
It is important to know which Mac Donald Clan you belong to and their religion as some remained Roman Catholic and others converted to the Church of Scotland. My emphasis is on the Outer Hebrides where he was born.

P.S. for Pam
I am working on our itinerary for Scotland and when comfortable enough to submit it here for critique and suggestions, I hope you will be kind enough to review it. I have enjoyed your input on the Scotland Forum

Steve

Posted by
67 posts

Thanks for the good information. I'll try them out and let you know what I find. Meanwhile, if you think of other sources, please pass them along. Again, thanks. -- john Macdonald -- Seattle

Posted by
1014 posts

When we were in Sky a few years back, there was a lovely museum that focused on Clan MacDonald. They have lots of information about the Clan and a nice museum to boot.

Posted by
10 posts

I also have ancestors (MacDonald) and am planning on going to Scotland this Fall. All these posts have been helpful and I just wanted to say thanks. I was planning on visiting the museum in Skye when we visit.