to receive FREE search credits to trace your ancestry on Scotlandspeople.gov.uk, and our quarterly enewsletter with exclusive travel deals, exciting events and travel tips.
I'd like to register now >
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and home to the first Scottish Parliament in 300 years. A city of writers, philosophers and monarchs, Edinburgh is a rich source of information on the lives and times of the Scottish people. But Edinburgh is so much more than a repository of knowledge. This is quite simply one of Europe's most beautiful cities, a vibrant, culturally diverse city surrounded by the wide open spaces of The Lothians - where palaces, castles and the iconic Forth rail bridge all add up to an unmissable destination.
The genealogist is truly spoilt for choice in Edinburgh. Not only is it home to the National Museums of Scotland, the National Archives and the National Library (including an excellent map library). It's also the place to head for the General Register Office of Scotland. Here, all the records of births, marriages, and deaths in Scotland, and all the census returns, are carefully filed and stored. It's a priceless resource for ancestral researchers.
