News: Famous Scots exhibition opens

Billy Connolly's family history is the subject of a free exhibition in the ScotlandsPeople Centre from 26 January until 27 March 2009. On Friday 23 January Linda Fabiani MSP, Minister for Europe External Affairs and Culture, launched the 'Famous Scots' exhibition. Starting with Billy Connolly, the rolling exhibition explores the family history of six well-known Scots, changing every eight weeks and running through to Hogmanay 2009. 'Famous Scots' is being supported by Homecoming Scotland as part of this year's official celebrations. The ScotlandsPeople partners, including the National Archives of Scotland, are delighted to have the opportunity to present Billy Connolly's genealogy, and to highlight some of Scotland's key ancestry resources available to everyone for tracing their own family history.

The exhibition traces Billy Connolly's Glasgow roots back to his ancestors from Ireland and the Isle of Mull. They came in search of work in the industries that made Glasgow the second city of the Empire. Connolly's early years in the shipyards was part of a family tradition. The living conditions of his ancestors are also explored in the exhibition, which is based on original documents, some of which are displayed for the first time.

During Homecoming Scotland, staff from the ScotlandsPeople partners (General Register Office for Scotland, NAS and the Court of the Lord Lyon) will be delving into the ancestry of five other celebrities, and the rolling exhibition will show visitors how easy it is to trace their own Scottish family history.

Visitors to the exhibition can enjoy the extraordinary venue in the heart of New Register House, surrounded by over half a million hand-written registers going back more than 400 years - a sight to inspire people to use the resources of the ScotlandsPeople Centre and the NAS.

'Famous Scots' is on show in New Register House, Edinburgh, Monday to Friday, 9.00 - 4. 30. For more information visit the ScotlandsPeople hub website.

On Friday 23 January Linda Fabiani MSP, Minister for Europe External Affairs and Culture, launched the Famous Scots exhibition. The ScotlandsPeople partners are pleased to have the agreement of Billy Connolly to feature as the first subject in a series of exhibitions designed to highlight family history and celebrate Homecoming Scotland 2009.

Linda Fabiani, Minister for Europe External Affairs and Culture, with the Keeper of the Records of Scotland, at the exhibition launch