The Islands, Loch Lomond, Stirling and The Trossachs

The county ~ Argyllshire

Argyll was the second largest Scottish county. It stretches 115 miles north to south down the west coast of Scotland. It included over 100 islands including Mull, Iona, Tiree and Islay. Various local government changes have resulted in most of Argyll falling within the Argyll and Bute District with Ardnamurchan, Ardgour, Kilmallie, Morvern and part of Appin being allocated to Highland Region. Argyll's county town is Lochgilphead, other important towns being Dunoon, Oban, Campbeltown, Inveraray (the traditional home of the Dukes of Argyll) and Tobermory.

Clan and Family Heartlands

You can get a feel for the lives your ancestors lived by visiting the area they came from. These are areas where, for centuries, families lived together in a tightly-knit community. In the Highlands they are linked to clan heartlands, whereas, in the rest of Scotland the names are often those of the local landed families. Although it is unlikely that family historians can link their ancestry to clan chiefs or family dynasties, it can still be a moving experience to tour the clan and family heartlands.

Here is a selection of the most common names in this area.

Campbell: centred on the residence of the Dukedom of Argyll

McDonald: Clan Donald was divided into separate groups, notably MacDonalds of Glencoe

McDougall: centred around their ancient stronghold, Dunollie Castle, north of Oban.

McMillan: originally at Knapdale but forced south by Campbell expansion to Kintyre and later, to Galloway

Lamont: especially in Cowal and Knapdale

Parishes

The Parish Church can unlock many secrets for ancestral researchers. Not only was it the place where children were baptised, proclamations of marriage announced and the dead buried, it was also the centre of most social activity within the Parish. There is, however, no such thing as a definitive list of parishes. Over the decades they have merged, divided, been renamed and had changes made to their spelling. The following list is based largely on the situation at the time of publication of the New Statistical Account (1834-1845).

Ardchattan,
Ardnamurchan,
Campbelton (Campbeltown),
Craignish,
Dunoon and Kilmun,
Gigha and Cara (Gigha),
Glassary,
Glenurchy and Inishail,
Inveraray,
Inverchaolain,
Jura,
Kilbrandon and Kilchattan,
Kilcalmonell and Kilberry,
Kilchoman,
Kilchrenan and Dalavich,
Kildalton,
Kilfinan,
Kilfinichen and Kilviceuen (Kilvickeon),
Killarow and Kilmeny (Kilmeny),
Killean and Kilchenzie,
Kilmadan,
Kilmartin,
Kilmore and Kilbride,
Kilninian and Kilmore,
Kilninver and Kilmelfort*,
Lismore and Appin*,
Lochgoilhead and Kilmorich*,
Morvern,
Muckairn,
North Knapdale,
Saddell and Skipness,
South Knapdale,
Southend,
Strachur and Stralachlan*,             
Tiree and Coll*,                                       
Torosay

* subsequently divided into seperate parishes, ( ) denotes alternative name or spelling

Detailed information on life and work within each of these parishes can be found in the Old (1791-99) and the New (1834-45) Statistical Account of Scotland. These are freely accessible on http://edina.ed.ac.uk/statacc. Part of their charm is the individual views of the minister, which can include some fascinating accounts of a parish's history, topography, employment, landowners, communications, agriculture and even the morality of the parishioners

Local Studies Libraries

 

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the libraries in your chosen area:

Argyll and Bute Library Service Local Collection
Highland Avenue
Sandbank
Dunoon
PA23 8PB
Tel: +44 1369 703214
Fax: +44 1369 705797
E-mail: eleanorharris@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Open: Mon-Fri, 09:00 - 17:00.

Covers the entire Argyll and Bute area. There are also small collections in Oban, Rothesay, Dunoon and Campbeltown.

Local Archives Centres

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the archive offices in your chosen area:

Highland Council Archive Service
Highland Archive & Registration Centre
Bught Road
Inverness
IV3 5SS
Tel: +44 (0)1463 256444
Email: archives@highland.gov.uk

Open: Mon-Fri, 10:00-17:00, late night opening Wednesday till 19:30
 
The archive comprises the Highland County, Burgh & District records. Only the northern part of Argyll is covered in this collection.
A bespoke Family History Centre is located here. Tel: as above. Email: genealogy@highland.gov.uk. 
Personal consultations with the genealogist are provided.

Argyll and Bute Council Archives
Manse Brae
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8QU
Tel: +44 1546 604120
Fax: +44 1546 606897
www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/content/freedomofinformation/corporateservices/archives/

Open: Tue-Fri, 10:00 - 13:00 & 14:00 - 16:30.
By appointment only.

Only the southern part of Argyll falls within this resource.

Museum and Heritage Centres

Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no surprise that Scotland is home to a remarkable collection of museums and heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned collections in Edinburgh's Royal Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres that specialise in the history of local communities. The following museums are all in your chosen area. A visit to any one of them may well shed new light on the lives led by your ancestors.

Ross of Mull Historical Centre
Pier Road
Bunessan
Isle of Mull
Argyll
Tel: +44 1681 700659
Email: enquiries@romhc.org.uk

Open: April - October, Mon - Fri, 10:00 - 16:30.
November - March by arrangement

Discover local history and heritage, the people, how they lived, their songs, stories, ancestry, emigration, archaeology, geology, crofting and wildlife.

Cambeltown Heritage Centre
Big Kiln
Cambeltown
PA28 6JU
Tel: +44 7783 485387

Open: April - October, Mon - Sat, 12:00 - 17:00 & Sun 14:00 - 17:00.

Depicts the cultural and economic history and development of Kintyre in an interesting and informative way.

The Museum of Islay life
Port Charlotte
Isle of Islay
PA48 7UA
Tel: +44 1496 850358 (winter months +44 1496 850310)

Open: Easter - end October, 10:00 - 17:00, Mon - Sat, 14:00 - 17:00.

All aspects of life through the ages. Reference library, old photographs and archives.

Easdale Island Folk Museum
Easdale Island
By Oban
PA34 4TB
Tel/Fax: +44 1852 300370

Open: Apr-Oct, daily 10:30 - 17:30.

Exhibitions of the history of the islands slate industry and its people in the 18th and 19th Century.

Glencoe and North Lorn Folk Museum
Glencoe
Argyll
Tel: +44 1855 811664 Open: May-September, Mon-Sat, 10:00 - 17:30.

Set within four heather thatched buildings, includes exhibits reflecting Highland rural life. Records include those of the Ballachulish Slate Quarry, listing employees, and of local burial grounds.

The Aluminium Story Visitor Centre
Linnhe Road
Kinlochleven
Lochaber
PA40 5SS
Tel: +44 1855 831663
Fax: +44 1855 831663

Open: April-October, Mon - Fri, 10:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 17:00

Based on audio visual displays describing the aluminium production plant established in 1908, and the effect on the local community. There is also a small library.

Auchindrain Township Open Air Museum
By Inverary
Argyll
PA32 8XN
Tel: +44 1499 500235

Open: April-September, daily 10:00 - 17:00.

An original west Highland township with all the original buildings as they would have appeared in the late 19th Century.

Inveraray Jail
Church Square
Inveraray
Argyll
PA32 8TX
Tel: +44 1499 302381
Fax: +44 1499 302195
E-mail: inverarayjail@btclick.com
www.inverarayjail.co.uk

Open: April-October, daily 09:30 - 17:00,
November-March, daily 10:00 - 16:00.

Voted best Scottish attraction of the decade. Exhibits include the 1820 courtroom (and listen to trials), the airing yard and the two prisons. The web site includes a listing of former prisoners.

Castle House Museum
Castle Gardens
Dunoon
Argyll
Tel: +44 1369 701422
www.castlehousemuseum.org.uk

Open: Easter-mid October, Mon-Sat, 10:30 - 16:30 & Sun 14:00 - 16:30.

The museum illustrates the history of Dunoon and the Cowal peninsula over the years. It includes special exhibits on Victorian life and captures the spirit of the era when Glaswegians went "doon the water" for their holidays.

Isle of Bute Discovery Centre
The Winter Garden
Rothesay
Isle of Bute
Tel: +44 8707 200619
Email: info@rothesay.visitscotland.com

Open: all year round

A unique building housing a fascinatling free exhibition on the Isle of Bute, comprehensive tourist information centre facilities and incorporating Bute sons and daughters genealogy project.

Family History Society

Local societies are run by volunteers who meet together periodically. Most maintain an index of members' interests - and this could well lead to the discovery of a long lost cousin or two. If there are any such societies in your chosen area, they will be listed below.

Highland Family History Society
c/o Highland Council Genealogy Centre
Inverness Library
Farraline Park
Inverness
IV1 1NH
Tel: +44 1463 236463
Fax: +44 1463 711128
E-mail: angus.bethune@tesco.net
www.highland.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/what-to-see/archives/highlandcouncilarchives

Details of members' research interests held on computer.

Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Society
Unit 5, 22 Mansfield Street
Glasgow
G11 5QP
Tel: +44 141 339 8303
www.gwsfhs.org.uk

Open: Tue 14:00 - 16:30, Thu 10:00 - 21:30 & Sat 14:00 - 16:30.

A members' surname index database is maintained. Various indexing projects in progress.

It may seem a little odd, but a visit to the burial ground of an ancestor can make you feel more closely connected to them. However, tracking down the specific plot, or lair as they were referred to in Scotland, depends on the period of time when the deaths occurred.

Up to the mid-19th century it was the normal practice for people to be interred in the Parish Kirk burial ground - although this was only rarely marked with anything as grand as a headstone. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) is currently co-ordinating a major project to develop a National Burial Index, relating to pre-1855 records. This will eventually be available on CD ROM. Although this will help to confirm that burials took place in parish burial grounds, it will not, unfortunately, indicate the location of the lair.

If your ancestor was wealthy enough, their grave may have been marked by an inscribed headstone. Over the years, family history societies and other volunteer groups have painstakingly transcribed and indexed such inscriptions - and these are nearly always held in the relevant local history libraries or family history research centres.

By the mid-19th Century, many parish burial grounds had become seriously overcrowded, especially those in urban areas, and this led to the creation of both private and municipal cemeteries. If you know the place and date of death, you should be able to discover the location of a lair, although not all cemeteries and records have survived.

The concept of cremation started to gain popularity in the late 1940s and has increased ever since. Ashes may be taken away by the family, scattered in the garden of remembrance or buried either in the crematorium or in a family plot.

Cemeteries Office
Operation Services
Argyll & Bute Council
Kilmory
Lochgilphead
Argyll
PA31 8RT
Tel: +44 1546 604 113
Fax: +44 1546 604 643
Email: alison.mcilroy@argyll-bute.gov.uk

Requests for searches of the cemetery register and for extracts are required to be made by form. The standard fee is £11.33, to be paid in advance, for work up to half an hour. Subsequent research is payable at the same rate.

The county ~ Clackmannanshire

Clackmannanshire was Scotland's smallest county lying to the North of the River Forth, to the East of Stirling. Alloa was its county town.

Clan and Family Heartlands

You can get a feel for the lives your ancestors lived by visiting the area they came from. These are areas where, for centuries, families lived together in a tightly-knit community. In the Highlands they are linked to clan heartlands, whereas, in the rest of Scotland the names are often those of the local landed families. Although it is unlikely that family historians can link their ancestry to clan chiefs or family dynasties, it can still be a moving experience to tour the clan and family heartlands.

Here is a selection of the most common names in this area:

Bruce

Parishes

The Parish Church can unlock many secrets for ancestral researchers. Not only was it the place where children were baptised, proclamations of marriage announced and the dead buried, it was also the centre of most social activity within the Parish. There is, however, no such thing as a definitive list of parishes. Over the decades they have merged, divided, been renamed and had changes made to their spelling. The following list is based largely on the situation at the time of publication of the New Statistical Account (1834-1845).

Alloa,   
Alva,     
Clackmannan ,  
Dollar 

* subsequently divided into seperate parishes, ( ) denotes alternative name or spelling

Detailed information on life and work within each of these parishes can be found in the Old (1791-99) and the New (1834-45) Statistical Account of Scotland. These are freely accessible on http://edina.ed.ac.uk/statacc. Part of their charm is the individual views of the minister, which can include some fascinating accounts of a parish's history, topography, employment, landowners, communications, agriculture and even the morality of the parishioners.

Local Studies Libraries

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the libraries in your chosen area:

Clackmannanshire Archives
22-28 Drysdale Street
Alloa
FK10 1JL
Tel: +44 1259 722262
Fax: +44 1259 219469
E-mail: libraries@clacks.gov.uk www.clacksweb.org.uk/dyna/localstudies

Open: Mon & Wed-Fri, 09:30 - 19:00, Tue 09:30 - 16:30 & Sat 09:00 - 12:30.

All local newspapers from 1841 plus a comprehensive card index (1844-1982). Several thousand photographs and slides are also indexed.

Local Archives Centres

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the archive offices in your chosen area:

Clackmannanshire Archives
26-28 Drysdale Street
Alloa
FK10 1JL
Tel: +44 1259 722262
Fax: +44 1259 219469
E-mail: libraries@clacks.gov.uk
www.clacksweb.org.uk/dyna/archives

Open: Mon & Wed-Fri, 09:30 - 19:00, Tue 09:30 - 16:30 & Sat 09:00 - 12:30.

The archive collection includes records of the former Clackmannanshire, Alloa, Alva, Dollar and Tillicoultry burghs, Alloa and Hillfoots District Councils. School log books, local business and voluntary organisation records are also held here. As the archives are widely dispersed, material should be requested at least a day in advance.

Museum and Heritage Centres

Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no surprise that Scotland is home to a remarkable collection of museums and heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned collections in Edinburgh's Royal Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres that specialise in the history of local communities. The following museums are all in your chosen area. A visit to any one of them may well shed new light on the lives led by your ancestors.

Dollar Museum
Castle Campbell Hall
1 High Street
Dollar
Clackmannanshire
FK14 7AY

Open: April - December, Sat 11:00 - 13:00 & 14:00 - 16:30 & Sun 14:00 - 16:30.

Permanent displays on the history of Dollar village, the Devon Valley Railway and Dollar Academy, plus changing temporary exhibitions.

Family History Society

Local societies are run by volunteers who meet together periodically. Most maintain an index of members' interests - and this could well lead to the discovery of a long lost cousin or two. If there are any such societies in your chosen area, they will be listed below.

Central Scotland Family History Society
Hon. Secretary
11 Springbank Gardens
Dunblane
FK15 9JX
www.csfhs.org.uk

Some of the society's holdings are kept in the Stirling Council Archives (see Stirlingshire County data).

It may seem a little odd, but a visit to the burial ground of an ancestor can make you feel more closely connected to them. However, tracking down the specific plot, or lair as they were referred to in Scotland, depends on the period of time when the deaths occurred.

Up to the mid-19th century it was the normal practice for people to be interred in the Parish Kirk burial ground - although this was only rarely marked with anything as grand as a headstone. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) is currently co-ordinating a major project to develop a National Burial Index, relating to pre-1855 records. This will eventually be available on CD ROM. Although this will help to confirm that burials took place in parish burial grounds, it will not, unfortunately, indicate the location of the lair.

If your ancestor was wealthy enough, their grave may have been marked by an inscribed headstone. Over the years, family history societies and other volunteer groups have painstakingly transcribed and indexed such inscriptions - and these are nearly always held in the relevant local history libraries or family history research centres.

By the mid-19th Century, many parish burial grounds had become seriously overcrowded, especially those in urban areas, and this led to the creation of both private and municipal cemeteries. If you know the place and date of death, you should be able to discover the location of a lair, although not all cemeteries and records have survived.

The concept of cremation started to gain popularity in the late 1940s and has increased ever since. Ashes may be taken away by the family, scattered in the garden of remembrance or buried either in the crematorium or in a family plot.

Land Services and Burial Ground Management
Clackmannanshire Council
Greenfield
Alloa
FK10 1QT
Tel: +44 1259 450 000
Fax: +44 1259 452 547
E-mail: agall@clacks.gov.uk

The county ~ Dunbartonshire

Dunbartonshire occupies the north bank of the Firth of Clyde extending from Glasgow's suburbs westwards to Argyll. In the 19th Century the County had a detached portion including Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld. The county also embraced Clydebank, Helensburgh, Bearsden and Milngavie. Although the county, as a whole, was heavily dependent on agriculture, there was an important shipbuilding industry linked to those areas bordering the Clyde. The famous teaclipper, the Cutty Sark, was built at Dumbarton, designed by Scott & Linton and completed by William Denny & Son after the former company went bankrupt in 1869. The John Brown Shipyard, where both "Queens" were built at Clydebank also fell within the old county boundaries. Following the local government chages, the old parishes of Arrochar, Luss, Rhu (Row) and Roseneath now fall within the Argyll & Bute Council area.

Clan and Family Heartlands

You can get a feel for the lives your ancestors lived by visiting the area they came from. These are areas where, for centuries, families lived together in a tightly-knit community. In the Highlands they are linked to clan heartlands, whereas, in the rest of Scotland the names are often those of the local landed families. Although it is unlikely that family historians can link their ancestry to clan chiefs or family dynasties, it can still be a moving experience to tour the clan and family heartlands.

Here is a selection of the most common names in this area:

Colquhoun: Located on the west banks of Loch Lomond, especially around the clan stonghold of Luss. The name is sometimes abbreviated to Cowan

Parishes

The Parish Church can unlock many secrets for ancestral researchers. Not only was it the place where children were baptised, proclamations of marriage announced and the dead buried, it was also the centre of most social activity within the Parish. There is, however, no such thing as a definitive list of parishes. Over the decades they have merged, divided, been renamed and had changes made to their spelling. The following list is based largely on the situation at the time of publication of the New Statistical Account (1834-1845).

Arrochar,
Bonhill,
Cardross,

Cumbernauld,
Dumbarton,
Kilmaronock,
Kilpatrick-New (New Kilpatrick),

Kilpatrick-Old (Old or West Kilpatrick),

Kirkintilloch,

Luss,

Roseneath, 

 

* subsequently divided into seperate parishes, ( ) denotes alternative name or spelling

 

Detailed information on life and work within each of these parishes can be found in the Old (1791-99) and the New (1834-45) Statistical Account of Scotland. These are freely accessible on http://edina.ed.ac.uk/statacc. Part of their charm is the individual views of the minister, which can include some fascinating accounts of a parish's history, topography, employment, landowners, communications, agriculture and even the morality of the parishioners.

Local Studies Libraries

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the libraries in your chosen area:

East Dunbartonshire

William Patrick Library
2 West High Street
Kirkintilloch
G66 1AD
Tel: +44 141 776 8090
Fax: +44 141 776 0408
E-mail: libraries@eastdunbarton.gov.uk

Web: www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk

Open: Mon-Thu, 10:00 - 20:00 & Fri-Sat, 10:00 - 17:00.

Includes a complete backfile of Kirkintilloch Herald with a card index for 1886-1975.

Brookwood Library
166 Drymen Road
Bearsden
Tel: +44 141 942 6811
Fax: +44 141 943 1119

Open: Mon-Thu, 10:00 - 20:00 & Fri-Sat, 10:00 - 17:00.

Includes indexed files of the Milngavie and Bearsden Herald.

West Dunbartonshire

Dumbarton Library
Strathleven Place
Dumbarton
G82 1BD
Tel: +44 1389 763129
E-mail: arthur.jones@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/arts-culture-and-libraries/libraries/branches/dumbarton

Open: Mon-Thu, 09:30 - 20:00, Fri 09:30 - 17:00 & Sat 10:00 - 17:00.

Newspaper collections include the Dumbarton & Lennox Herald (1851-to date). Extensive newspaper clippings plus a card index relating to local events and prominent families. Smaller collections of local material are spread throughout a further ten libraries. For details contact the Administration Library Headquarters:
Tel: +44 1389 738328,
Fax: +44 1389 734204

Local Archives Centres

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the archive offices in your chosen area:

East Dunbartonshire

William Patrick Library
2 West High Street
Kirkintilloch
G66 1HW
Tel: +44 141 776 8090
Fax: +44 141 776 0408
E-mail: archives@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/archives

Open: Mon-Thu, 10:00 - 20:00 & Fri-Sat, 10:00 - 17:00

Brookwood Library
166 Drymen Road
Bearsden
Tel: +44 141 942 6811
Fax: +44 141 943 1119

Holds records relating to Bearsden and Milngavie

Open: Mon-Thu, 10:00 - 20:00 & Fri-Sat, 10:00 - 17:00.

West Dunbartonshire

Dumbarton Library
Strathleven Place
Dumbarton
G82 1BD
Tel: +44 1389 763129
E-mail: arthur.jones@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/arts-culture-and-libraries/libraries/branches/dumbarton

Open: Mon-Thu, 09:30 - 20:00, Fri 09:30 - 17:00 & Sat 10:00 - 17:00.

Museum and Heritage Centres

Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no surprise that Scotland is home to a remarkable collection of museums and heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned collections in Edinburgh's Royal Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres that specialise in the history of local communities. The following museums are all in your chosen area. A visit to any one of them may well shed new light on the lives led by your ancestors.

Family History Society

Local societies are run by volunteers who meet together periodically. Most maintain an index of members' interests - and this could well lead to the discovery of a long lost cousin or two. If there are any such societies in your chosen area, they will be listed below.

Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Society
Unit 5, 22 Mansfield Street
Glasgow
G11 5QP
Tel: +44 141 339 8303
www.gwsfhs.org.uk

Open: Tue 14:00 - 16:30, Thu 10:00 - 21:30 & Sat 14:00 - 16:30.

A members' surname index database is maintained. Various indexing projects in progress.

It may seem a little odd, but a visit to the burial ground of an ancestor can make you feel more closely connected to them. However, tracking down the specific plot, or lair as they were referred to in Scotland, depends on the period of time when the deaths occurred.

Up to the mid-19th century it was the normal practice for people to be interred in the Parish Kirk burial ground - although this was only rarely marked with anything as grand as a headstone. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) is currently co-ordinating a major project to develop a National Burial Index, relating to pre-1855 records. This will eventually be available on CD ROM. Although this will help to confirm that burials took place in parish burial grounds, it will not, unfortunately, indicate the location of the lair.

If your ancestor was wealthy enough, their grave may have been marked by an inscribed headstone. Over the years, family history societies and other volunteer groups have painstakingly transcribed and indexed such inscriptions - and these are nearly always held in the relevant local history libraries or family history research centres.

By the mid-19th Century, many parish burial grounds had become seriously overcrowded, especially those in urban areas, and this led to the creation of both private and municipal cemeteries. If you know the place and date of death, you should be able to discover the location of a lair, although not all cemeteries and records have survived.

The concept of cremation started to gain popularity in the late 1940s and has increased ever since. Ashes may be taken away by the family, scattered in the garden of remembrance or buried either in the crematorium or in a family plot.

East Dunbartonshire

Parks and Amenities Services
Connect Services
Broomhill Industrial Estate
Kilsyth Road
Kirkintilloch
G66 1TF
Tel: +44 141 578 8000
Fax: +44 141 574 5555
Email: general@EastDunbarton.gov.uk

The Council operate nine cemeteries, most of which were opened in the late 19th Century. Registers are held for most, though not all, of them. They are not indexed so precise details of death/burial are recommended. Records of burials in the old Churchyards are not held.

Pre 1922 burial records are held in the William Patrick Library (see Dunbartonshire 'Local Studies Libraries' information)

West Dunbartonshire

Bereavement Services
West Dunbartonshire Council
Richmond Street Depot
Clydebank
G81 1RF
Tel: +44 1389 738 548
Fax: +44 141 562 2346
E-mail: Helen.murray@west-dunbarton.gov.uk

The Authority is responsible for several cemeteries in Clydebank, Dumbarton, Alexandria and Kilmarnock. Visitors are welcome at the above office where the lair registration books are kept. Copying of extracts is not permitted. A standard charge of £12 is made per search.

The county ~ Stirlingshire

Stirlingshire was a county in central Scotland bounded by five other counties. Part of Loch Lomond fell within its borders and its county town was Stirling, although Falkirk was its largest town. Apart from agriculture, a major industry was coal mining and more recently, oil refining (at Grangemouth).

Clan and Family Heartlands

You can get a feel for the lives your ancestors lived by visiting the area they came from. These are areas where, for centuries, families lived together in a tightly-knit community. In the Highlands they are linked to clan heartlands, whereas, in the rest of Scotland the names are often those of the local landed families. Although it is unlikely that family historians can link their ancestry to clan chiefs or family dynasties, it can still be a moving experience to tour the clan and family heartlands.

Here is a selection of the most common names in this area.

Buchanan: Lands lie on the east shore of Loch Lomond

Parishes

The Parish Church can unlock many secrets for ancestral researchers. Not only was it the place where children were baptised, proclamations of marriage announced and the dead buried, it was also the centre of most social activity within the Parish. There is, however, no such thing as a definitive list of parishes. Over the decades they have merged, divided, been renamed and had changes made to their spelling. The following list is based largely on the situation at the time of publication of the New Statistical Account (1834-1845).

Airth,
Alva,
Baldernock, 
Balfron,
Bothkennar,
Buchanan,
Campsie,
Denny,
Drymen,
Dunipace,
Falkirk, 
Fintry,
Garunnock (Gargunnock),
Killearn,
Kilsyth,
Kippen,
Larbert,
Logie,
Muiravonside,
Polmont,
Slamanan,
St Ninians,
Stirling,
Strathblane

* subsequently divided into seperate parishes, ( ) denotes alternative name or spelling

Detailed information on life and work within each of these parishes can be found in the Old (1791-99) and the New (1834-45) Statistical Account of Scotland. These are freely accessible on http://edina.ed.ac.uk/statacc. Part of their charm is the individual views of the minister, which can include some fascinating accounts of a parish's history, topography, employment, landowners, communications, agriculture and even the morality of the parishioners.

Local Studies Libraries

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the libraries in your chosen area:

Local History Collection
Central Reference Library
Corn Exchange Road
Stirling
FK8 2HX
Tel: +44 1786 432106
Fax: +44 1786 473094
E-mail: centrallibrary@stirling.gov.uk
www.stirling.gov.uk

Open: Mon, Wed & Fri 09:30 - 17:30, Tue-Thu, 09:30 - 19:00 & Sat 09:30 - 17:00.

Newspapers include Stirling Journal and Advertiser (1820-1970). There are several indexes to the newspaper holdings.

Falkirk Library
Hope Street
Falkirk
FK1 5AU
Tel: +44 1324 503605
Fax: +44 1324 503606
E-mail: falkirk@falkirk.gov.uk
www.falkirk.gov.uk

Open: Mon, Tue & Thu 09:30 - 20:00 & Wed, Fri & Sat 09:30 - 17:00.

Indexes are held for several newspapers including the Falkirk Herald (1845-1991) and the Stirling Journal and Advertiser (1820-1970). There is also a biographical/obituary notice index (1845, 1860-1910).

Local Archives Centres

Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.

The following is a list of the archive offices in your chosen area:

Stirling Council Archive Services
Unit 6, Burghmuir Industrial Estate
Stirling
FK7 7PY
Tel: +44 1786 450745
Fax: +44 1786 433005
E-mail: archive@stirling.gov.uk

Open: Wed-Fri, 10:00 - 12:30 & 13:30 - 16:30.
Booking is advisable

Callendar House
Balgonie Road
Falkirk
FK1 1YR
Tel: +44 1324 503778
Fax: +44 1324 503771
E-mail: callendarhouse@falkirkmuseums.demon.co.uk
www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/community/cultural_services/museums/museum_venues/callendar_house.aspx

Open: Mon-Fri 1000-1230 & 1330-1700
Booking is advisable

Holds Falkirk local authority, business and estate records plus almost 30,000 photographs.

Museum and Heritage Centres

Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no surprise that Scotland is home to a remarkable collection of museums and heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned collections in Edinburgh's Royal Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres that specialise in the history of local communities. The following museums are all in your chosen area. A visit to any one of them may well shed new light on the lives led by your ancestors.

Callendar House
Balgonie Road
Falkirk
FK1 1YR
Tel: +44 1324 503778
Fax: +44 1324 503771
E-mail: callendarhouse@falkirkmuseums.demon.co.uk
www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/community/cultural_services/museums/museum_venues/callendar_house.aspx

Open: Mon-Fri 1000-1700; April-September 1400-1700

Wide range of exhibits relating to Falkirk's history

Family History Society

Local societies are run by volunteers who meet together periodically. Most maintain an index of members' interests - and this could well lead to the discovery of a long lost cousin or two. If there are any such societies in your chosen area, they will be listed below.

Falkirk Museum and History Research Centre
Callendar House
Balgonie Road
Falkirk
FK1 1YR
Tel: +44 1324 503778
Fax: +44 1324 503771
E-mail: callendarhouse@falkirkmuseums.demon.co.uk
www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/community/cultural_services/museums/museum_venues/callendar_house.aspx

Open: Mon-Fri, 10:00 - 12:30 & 13:30 - 17:00.
Booking is advisable

Holds Falkirk local authority, business and estate records plus almost 30,000 photographs.

Family History Society Scottish Family History Societies vary greatly in scope. Some have their own premises and libraries, whereas others are much more modest. A common feature of virtually all societies is a register of members' family interests and a regular newsletter. Membership fees are extremely modest. Family historians should join the relevant FHS and make contact with the Secretary in advance of a visit.

Central Scotland Family History Society
Hon. Secretary
11 Springbank Gardens
Dunblane
FK15 9JX
www.csfhs.org.uk

Some of the society's holdings are kept in the Stirling Council Archives (see Stirlingshire County data).

It may seem a little odd, but a visit to the burial ground of an ancestor can make you feel more closely connected to them. However, tracking down the specific plot, or lair as they were referred to in Scotland, depends on the period of time when the deaths occurred.

Up to the mid-19th century it was the normal practice for people to be interred in the Parish Kirk burial ground - although this was only rarely marked with anything as grand as a headstone. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) is currently co-ordinating a major project to develop a National Burial Index, relating to pre-1855 records. This will eventually be available on CD ROM. Although this will help to confirm that burials took place in parish burial grounds, it will not, unfortunately, indicate the location of the lair.

If your ancestor was wealthy enough, their grave may have been marked by an inscribed headstone. Over the years, family history societies and other volunteer groups have painstakingly transcribed and indexed such inscriptions - and these are nearly always held in the relevant local history libraries or family history research centres.

By the mid-19th Century, many parish burial grounds had become seriously overcrowded, especially those in urban areas, and this led to the creation of both private and municipal cemeteries. If you know the place and date of death, you should be able to discover the location of a lair, although not all cemeteries and records have survived.

The concept of cremation started to gain popularity in the late 1940s and has increased ever since. Ashes may be taken away by the family, scattered in the garden of remembrance or buried either in the crematorium or in a family plot.

Stirling
Environment Services
Stirling Council
Viewforth
Stirling
FK8 2ET
Tel: +44 1786 442 559
Fax: +44 1786 442 558
Email: crightond@stirling.gov.uk

The Council is responsible for 57 cemeteries and churchyards. No fee is currently charged for the searching facility although precise details of the death/burial are essential.

Falkirk
Bereavement Services
Dorrator Road
Camelon
Falkirk
FK2 7YJ
Tel: +44 1324 503 650
Fax: +44 1324 503 651
Email: billbauchope@falkirk.gov.uk

The Council is responsible for 11 cemeteries in and around Falkirk. The records, which are not indexed, are located at the above address. Personal visits are by appointment only. Simple enquiries relating to specific entries are undertaken free of charge.