Freedom of Information Publication Scheme

Appendix A: How do I access information in the archives?
Before you visit the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) you should have a fairly clear idea of your research purpose. While our staff can give some advice, preliminary investigation of a subject can save you considerable research time. You should consult relevant published books. View the guide to published guides and sources for more information. You can also consult our on-line catalogue. When doing this reading you may well find specific references to records held in the NAS. Be sure to make a full note of these and bring it with you when you visit us.

If you are researching family history it is helpful to know where your ancestors lived in Scotland, their dates of birth, death and marriage, and their religious denomination. If at all possible, you should begin any family history research by speaking to living relatives to see what they can remember. This can give you numerous clues and pointers and can also save a great deal of time.

You should also ensure that you have read fully all the relevant information on our website. This will particularly help to avoid disappointment if the records you wish to consult are held by another institution.

Opening hours
The NAS has three public search rooms: Historical Search Room and Legal Search Room at HM General Register House and the West Search Room at West Register House. Addresses and contact numbers are shown below. No appointment is necessary, but please contact us in advance if you need any special advice. We are open as follows:

Search rooms:
Monday to Friday 09:00 to 16:45 (last order for documents, 16:20).

Public holidays 2008-9
The NAS will be closed on the following days:

• Good Friday: Friday 21 March 2008
• Easter Monday: Monday 24 March 2008
• May holiday: Monday 5 May 2008
• Christmas: Thursday 25 and Friday 26 December 2008
• New Year: Thursday 1 January and Friday 2 January 2009

Historical Search Room and Legal Search Room
H M General Register House, 2 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3YY.
Telephone: +44 (0) 131 535 1334, Fax: +44 (0) 131 535 1328, E-mail: enquiries@nas.gov.uk

West Search Room
West Register House, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4DF
Telephone: +44 (0) 131 535 1413, Fax: +44 (0) 131 535 1430, E-mail: wsr@nas.gov.uk

We advise researchers to telephone in advance to check which building they should visit. The following is a rough guide to the division of records between General Register House and West Register House to help you decide which one you should visit first. As many records are now stored in our suburban repository, Thomas Thomson House, we strongly advise you to contact us in advance if you have any doubts about where records are held. Please note that records will not be transferred between search rooms except in exceptional circumstances. It is possible that your research will necessitate visits to both buildings.

General Register House
On the whole, the Historical Search Room is the best place to begin research into family history or local history at the National Archives of Scotland. Here you can consult church records, the papers of landed and noble families, the records of some businesses and records relating to property. The main categories of records are listed below:

• Records of the pre-1707 Scottish Government and Parliament; Privy Council; Registers of the Great and Privy Seal.
• Church records: Records of the parish kirk sessions of the established Church of Scotland, of the Free Church, and of the various dissenting ('seceding') congregations; copies of the records of baptisms, marriages and burials for Roman Catholics before 1855. Please note that for Church of Scotland baptisms, marriages and burials you should go to the General Register Office for Scotland.
• Legal Registers: Registers of Deeds and Sasines; Services of Heirs.
• Court records: Early Court of Session records; Justiciary Court records (pre 1800); some sheriff court and commissary court records.
• Local records: Burgh records; valuation rolls.
• Private records: Family, legal and estate papers; records of businesses, societies and institutions.

West Register House
If you are researching legal cases, government policy after 1886, railways, mining, engineering, geography and architecture, the West Search Room is likely to hold the records you require. The holdings may also provide you with extra information on your ancestors, e.g. railway workers, lighthouse keepers, civil litigants and criminals. Below is an outline of the records available at West Register House:

• Modern Government files: Records of the Scottish Office and Scottish Government.
• Court records: Court of Session; Justiciary Court (post 1800); some sheriff court records.
• Records of the former nationalised industries: Coal, rail, gas, electricity and steel.
• Maps and plans: Almost all maps and plans held within the National Archives of Scotland are available for consultation at the West Search Room. There are electronic and paper catalogues as well as a card index for searching maps and plans. Although the National Archives of Scotland has some Ordnance Survey maps in its holdings a fuller collection is held at the National Library of Scotland.

Thomas Thomson House
Thomas Thomson House, the third building of the National Archives of Scotland, is not open to the public but is used for storage. Records kept there require advance notice of at least two working days before they can be produced in the search rooms.

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