How can I discover when my ancestors emigrated from Scotland and on which ship?

There are various sources of information available to discover more about your ancestors emigrating from Scotland, although it may depend on when your ancestors emigrated as to how much information you can find.

The Knoweldge Base section of the Scan website provides some useful tips on researching emigration records.

Initially, there was no legal requirement to record emigrants; the paperwork was all done at the port of arrival.  However, official passenger lists were compiled by the Board of Trade from 1890-1960 - and these were all kept in the National Archives in London. They have now been made available online and can be accessed via the Find My Past website, where you will find details of every passenger who left from a UK port, including all Scottish ports, for destinations around the world between these dates.

Another useful website for information on ancestors who migrated to the USA is the Ellis Island website , which has over 20 million entries.