The publications of Scottish historical clubs and societies contain a wealth of information which could be of use to your family history research.
These societies were mainly formed in the early 19th century to preserve, and make information available about the history and culture of Scotland.
You can view digitised versions of publications by Scottish clubs in our digital gallery.
Published records
Some societies, such as the Scottish Record Society, have published original Scottish records such as births, marriages and testaments (wills). Other societies have produced volumes on a variety of subjects, including family history topics.
Some examples of the types of publication you can find by these societies are:
- 'Ancient criminal trials in Scotland 1488-1692', by Robert Pitcairn. Bannatyne Club, volume 42, 1833.
- 'Genealogical collections concerning the families in Scotland, made by Walter Mcfarlane, 1750-51', by J T Clark. Scottish History Society, volumes 33, 34, 1900. View Mcfarlane's 'Genealogical collections' online
- 'List of inhabitants upon the Duke of Argyle's property in Kintyre in 1792', by A B Stewart. Scottish Record Society, N S volume 17, 1991.
- 'List of pollable persons within the shire of Aberdeen, 1696', by J Stuart. Spalding Club, volume 39, 1844.
- 'Melrose parish registers ... 1642-1820', by C S Romanes. Scottish Record Society, volume 45, 1913.
Further reading
You can find out more about what the Scottish historical clubs and societies have published in:
- 'Scottish texts and calendars: An analytical guide to serial publications', by D and W B Stevenson. Scottish History Society and Royal Historical Society, 1987. View Scottish texts and calendars' online. You can also search and browse it in our 'Scottish history in print' website.
This index is available on the open shelves of the General Reading Room of the National Library, along with copies of the publications themselves. Some university and public libraries also have a copy, and many of these libraries may also hold copies of these volumes.