Centre. The Centre has the very latest in computer of images are therefore available to view. “The web
technology – 160 terminals providing access to service is there to attract people from across the world,
the digitised records of Census Returns, Old Parish but the Centre in Edinburgh allows people to come
Registers, Statutory Registers, Wills and Testaments, and do their research in magnificent surroundings
Coats of Arms and Minor Records. George MacKenzie, and to consult very expert staff. There’s quite a buzz
the Keeper of the Records of Scotland, is the man in in doing that alongside like-minded people. Because
overall charge of the enterprise. Not surprisingly, he it’s all been automated you can carry out the research
is very pleased indeed that after five years of hard in a fraction of the time it would have taken you five
work, Scotland now has a genealogy research centre years ago when you had to do it all on paper. We
second to none. “We are not aware of any country hope that people will then go on to local areas and
in the world,” Mr MacKenzie said, “that is able to perhaps consult local experts on the spot in archives
replicate the facility that we provide in Edinburgh. and libraries across Scotland.”
Some countries offer access to digitised census Quite apart from the absorbing business of
records, war records, immigration records and wills tracking our Scottish ancestors, there is another very
and testaments, but the fact that all of the digitised good reason to make the journey to Edinburgh and
statutory records are available for our customers, sets that lies in the sheer joy of visiting one of Scotland’s
this family history centre apart from anywhere else.” most magnificent public buildings. Robert Adam was
Genealogy is said to be the world’s most popular undoubtedly one of the greatest British architects of the
leisure time activity and the Scottish Government is eighteenth century and now, thanks to its meticulous
clearly keen to capitalise on the fact that the Scottish restoration, Register House is pretty close to the way
Diaspora now includes some 40 million people it was when Adam completed it. George MacKenzie
of Scots descent scattered throughout the world. describes the process as “a voyage of discovery.” There
“Ancestral tourism is still a bit of a niche market,” have been many delightful surprises, he said, not the
Mr MacKenzie said, “but it is becoming increasingly least being the 22 layers of paint that conservators had
valuable for Scotland, which is why the government to remove from the dome before the original Adam
is so very keen to encourage people to come home in colour scheme was revealed. Unlike the polychrome
search of their roots. Ancestral tourists stay longer and approach he favoured in his private commissions,
generally spend much more money than ordinary Robert Adam favoured plain stone and white colour
tourists. The internet has given ancestral research a schemes for the interiors of his public buildings.
tremendous boost, but there’s only so much one can John McLintock, the head of Maps and Plans at
do on the web. The main advantage in coming to the National Archives of Scotland, has researched
Edinburgh is the fact that you can view the indexes the history of Register House and traced its origins
and the images of the modern day records whereas all the way back to 1707 when the Treaty of Union
only some of these are available on line. guaranteed that the Archives of Scotland would
“The ScotlandsPeople Centre exists on several remain in Scotland. “A proper home for Scotland’s
levels. The first thing we did was to bring our web public records was first proposed in 1722,” Mr
services together under ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk and McLintock says, “however, for much of the eighteenth
that’s been up and running for several years with century Scotland’s national archives were housed in
material from both the General Register Office and unsuitable accommodation in Parliament House
the National Archives. We’ve recently added the Arms and other locations around Edinburgh. Eventually,
from the Lyon Office. We are also trying to encourage in 1765 a government grant of £12,000 was made
the development of other local genealogy centres available from the forfeited Jacobite estates for the
right across Scotland. There are 32 Scottish local building of a ‘proper repository,’ but agreement was
authorities and most have some provision for their only reached on the site when the City of Edinburgh
archives and of course lots of local knowledge which gifted the necessary land at the north end of the new
can be extremely helpful when people want to visit North Bridge in 1769.”
the places once inhabited by their forebears. Some Largely through the influence of Lord Frederick
of them are already linked to the national database Campbell, the Lord Clerk Register, Robert Adam and
and we are encouraging others to join. We hope that his younger brother James, were formally appointed
within 10 years virtually every local authority will be to be architects of Register House on July 30, 1772
offering these services.” although according to Mr McLintock they had
Mr MacKenzie said the National Archives has so already been working on the design for some time.
far converted about 15 million images of original “The Adam brothers,” he said, “believed that you
records while the General Register Office database could judge a society by the quality and grandeur of
contains about 60 million names. Tens of millions its public buildings and this commission provided an
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