Hi folks, the next Scottish Research Online course from Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd (https://www.pharostutors.com) returns 5 January 2026. The following is its description:
Scottish Research Online (102)
Tutor: Chris Paton
Scotland was one of the first countries to digitise its major
family history records collections for accessibility online, and
continues to this day to use such resources to promote a worldwide
interest in family history for those with Caledonian connections.
This
course describes the major sites and record types that you will
encounter in your research, and how to analyse the results. It compares
and contrasts many of the key websites available for Scottish research,
drilling down to key features within each to help improve a users
knowledge of what is contained within the presented records, and equally
important, what is not. It explores the key resources for vital records
such as births, marriages and deaths, as recorded by the state from
1855 onwards, and the usefulness of the decennial censuses from
1841-1911 in connecting family members and branches together.
Prior
to civil registration there are the records created by the Church of
Scotland as the state church, with the course exploring access to its
Old Parish Registers (OPRs) on ScotlandsPeople and through FamilySearchs
various finding aids. In the final lesson, wills and inventories
generated by Scotlands confirmation process are explored, with some of
the many differences flagged up between the records of Scotland and the
rest of the UK, thanks to the distinctly different legal system north of
the border.
Most importantly this course will inspire you to
actively pursue your interest in Scottish genealogy and take it to the
next level.
Lesson Headings:
* Understanding Scotlands People, FindmyPast, Family Search, Ancestry, and FreeCen
* Essential Maps and Gazetteers
* Civil Registration and Census Research
* Searching in Church of Scotland Registers
* Scottish Wills and Inventories
Note:
it is recommended but not required that students in this course sign up
for the basic search option, 30 units/seven days, at ScotlandsPeople
(cost is £7.50 for 30 credits)
Each lesson includes exercises and activities; a minimum of 1 one-hour chats See How Courses Work.
STUDENTS SAID:
'I've learnt so much more context around the types of records that really
help to understand the value and possible other clues they offer, it's
been incredibly useful.'
'Excellent course materials; I learned so much that wouldn't have been
easy to do on my own. I also learned more about Family Search than I
have in the past, which was helpful.'
'Class material was introduced in an organized manner. Way more
information provided than I expected. Many, many leads provided for me
to follow up on through learning about specific website holdings.'
'I
particularly liked the fact that the course didn't just focus on the
well-known BMD resources available, but on a much wider range of
websites, including many which give extremely useful background
information on the geography and history of the localities where our
ancestors lived.'
'Excellent tuition from Chris Paton; very good
course materials; well-paced; excellent value for money. I very much
liked the opportunity to work at my own pace.'
Relevant Countries: Scotland
Course Length: 5 Weeks
Start Date: 5 January 2026
Cost: £70.00
I hope to maybe see you there!
Chris
Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.
