How can I find out where my ancestors were buried?

Up to the mid 19th century, nearly everybody was interred in their local parish church burial ground. If the family had money, there is a fair chance that the site would have an inscribed headstone. Many churchyards have been indexed by volunteers; if they have, the records will be indexed in the local library.

In modern times, burial registrations have become the responsibility of local authorities, many of whom will undertake a search of their records - for a fee. An exact date of death is essential for this purpose. Visit the Regions and Counties section of this site to find out where you can trace burial records for each of Scotland's ancient counties.