OPEN SPACE FOR EDINBURGH RESEARCH TOUR SEPT 2020

A SPACE HAS BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE SEPT 2020 EDINBURGH TOUR

The Edinburgh tour runs from Sept 13-19, 2020 directly ahead of the Borders Tour.

Fees include:

Pre-tour preparation

Hotel & Breakfast

Three full days of research at ScotlandsPeople Centre (NRS)

Research at Scottish Genealogy Society

Research at National Library of Scotland

As with all empty spaces, this will go on a first come first serve basis.

For more information, or to book your space:

https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/edinburgh-sept-2020.html

Scottish Wildlife

As part of the Highland History and Research Tour, we have driven several hundred miles across the Scottish Highlands and have been in awe at the stunning and dramatic scenery. Scotland never fails to show just how beautiful she really is. As we drove we were able to see the Scottish wildlife up close. The animals made it perfectly clear that we were on THEIR lands and would be subject to their time frame!

ONLY 6 SPACES LEFT FOR 2017

The May 2017 genealogy research tour to Scotland is filling up fast. There are only 6 spaces left!

If traveling to your ancestral homeland to research your family history is on your bucket list, why not take advantage of the spaces available and join us on the May 2017 tour? 

Wondering what you get in terms of support when you register? Here's my interview with Dear Myrtle: 

To register for the May 2017 tour: http://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/

Hope to see you in Scotland!

Only ONE Research Space Left for SEPT 2016

The second 2016 tour to Scotland to research your family history is almost FULL.  There is ONE research spot remaining. This will be available on a first come, first serve basis.  A genealogy tour to Scotland provides you with:  ~ Pre-tour webinar on Scottish Genealogy Research ~ Pre-tour webinar on Planning For a Research Trip to Scotland ~ Pre-tour assistance to make the most of your time in Scotland ~ Pre-tour package of information to assist with your research planning ¨ 9 nights in a centrally located hotel where you will get the sense of living in ` Scotland ¨ Breakfast every day ¨ A Family History Talk at ScotlandsPeople Centre ¨ A Family History Talk at the National Library of Scotland ¨ 5 days of dedicated research time where staff are expecting you and are       ready to assist ¨ Transportation to and from the research facilities ¨ Time to visit the area where your ancestor lived in Scotland and assistance to    plan this ¨ Time to research in a local archive, family history society or library ¨ The chance to experience a Ceilidh and indulge your Scottish heritage ¨ Transportation to and from the Ceilidh ¨ Optional historic evening guided tour of Greyfriar’s Cemetery ¨ The opportunity to connect with others researching their Scottish roots ¨ A great way to connect with your Scottish ancestors ¨ Memories to last a lifetime ¨ A deeper sense of belonging ¨ A better sense of who YOU are as part of the Scots diaspora  Why not join a tour to research your roots and discover your heritage?  http://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/ **airfare and transport from airport to hotel are not included**

Limited Spaces Remain for 2016 Genealogy Tour to Scotland

Although we are still over a year away, spaces on the 2016 Genealogy Tour to Scotland are filling fast and only limited spaces remain. 

If traveling to Scotland to do family history research is on your bucket list, don't wait to book. 

There is no greater feeling than walking in the footsteps of your ancestors. It will give you such a deep sense of connection to those who have gone before you. 

Create your own Who Do You Think You Are ancestral trip. Your tour fees include:

• pre-tour preparation package
• pre-tour webinars
• 9 nights accommodation 
• 9 breakfasts  
• protected research time
• onsite overviews and talks
• 3 full days of research at Scotland's People Centre 
• Full day of research at the National Library of Scotland
• Full day of research at the NLS Maps Reading Room
• Daily research fees
• Evening at the Scottish Experience Dinner show 
• All ground transportation for research 
• Time to visit the area where your ancestors lived (additional travel fees not included)
• Opportunity to visit the local family history society where your ancestors lived

Book your spot on the 2016 spot now at: 

https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/

Book Your Ancestral Trip to Scotland Before the Tour Sells Out

Most of us are at a stage of our lives now where we can focus less on family and work and more on ourselves. To some it has been a long time coming. So, now that time is less of a constraint, why not give yourself the gift of connecting with your ancestral heritage?If you wait, it may be too late!

At Genealogy Tours of Scotland, our ancestral trips tend to sell out 8 months ahead of the scheduled tour. 

If traveling to Scotland to conduct family history research, accessing records not available online and visiting the land of your ancestors is on YOUR bucket list, you won't want to miss out on this opportunity. https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/

 At Genealogy Tours of Scotland, (http://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca, we provide you with protected time at the ScotlandsPeople Centre and at the National Library of Scotland. While on the tour, you will receive personal assistance from the archivists in each location.  

In addition to the repository visits, time is available to travel to the area of Scotland where your ancestors lived. I provide connections to ancestral tour companies, run by genealogists in Scotland, who will give you a personalised tour of your ancestors home area including graveyards, churches, streets, business and anything else you may wish to see that is still standing.  

If a genealogy research visit to Scotland is on your to-do list, contact me and I can assist you to make the most of your ancestral visit. (genealogytoursofscotland@gmail.com). I'm looking forward to sharing your genealogical adventures with you!

Come to Scotland. Spend time in the archives. Research your roots. Tour your ancestral

villages, towns, graveyards. Learn the history and culture of your ancestral homeland. Feel more connected, more rooted. Create a memory of a lifetime. Bring a friend or partner along to share the journey.

Non-genealogy partners travel for half price.

The Best of Both Worlds Combine Learning and Researching

Day three of the Scottish Institute concludes the learning aspect of the week and embarks on the research part of the experience.

Today we return to West Lothian Room for the morning where we will hear about two diverse topics. The first will be Ian Walker speaking on Ancestral Tourism and the impact of this on both the Scottish tourist industry and on economics.

Following Ian's talk, we will hear from two members of the Scottish Genealogy Network, Kirsty Wilkinson and Elizabeth Irving who will tell us how their membership in the SGN has helped them in their careers and research.

In the afternoon, we will head over to the Causeway Building of the National Library of Scotland where we can be hands on with their maps. For those less interested in maps, an afternoon of research at the George IV Bridge location of the NLS can be arranged instead.

Following dinner on our own, we will walk over to Greyfriar's Kirkyard where we will enjoy a guided historic tour of the cemetery and learn about some of the lives of those interred there.

Today provides 4 hours of learning and 4 hours of research.

The rest of the week

Two and an half days of research to put our learning into practice

Thursday and Friday will be full days of research at the National Records of Scotland. Both days at the NRS, we will be able to research from 9 am until 4:30 pm.

On the Thursday evening, we also have reserved and protected research time in the evening at the NRS from 6:45 - 9:15.

In between the research times on Thursday, we can enjoy a group dinner at a local historic pub.

Thursday and Friday provide 17.5 hours of research time.

The Scottish Institute is limited to 15 participants. This is a unique learning opportunity which will also allow time to make collaborative relationships through built in networking opportunities.

To register:

http://www.scottishinstitute.ca/

For unanswered questions: mailto:genealogytoursofscotland@gmail.com

April 2015 Tour Itinerary Now Confirmed

Sunday: This is a day of arrival. We will meet in the restaurant area of the hotel at 6:30 pm for a meet and greet and to talk about the week ahead. There will be an opportunity to sign up for optional walking tours of Edinburgh during the week.

Monday: Following breakfast, we will meet in the hotel lobby as a large group for 8:45. From here we will taxi to ScotlandsPeople Centre where we will enjoy a Family History session followed by research time.  

Tuesday: Following breakfast we will again meet in the lobby of the hotel for 8:45. From here we will taxi to ScotlandsPeople Centre for a full day of research. 

Those who are signed up for the tour of Greyfriars Kirkyard will meet in the hotel lobby at 6:30. From here we will walk over to the Kirk yard gates to meet with the tour organizers. Payment is payable directly to the tour organizers.  

Wednesday: Following breakfast- we will meet in the hotel lobby as a large group at 9:45. From here we will taxi to the maps building of the National Library of Scotland.  

Those who are signed up for the tour of Old Edinburgh will meet in the hotel lobby at 6:30. From here we will walk over to the Greyfriars Kirkyard gates to meet with the tour organizers. Payment is payable directly to the tour organizers.

Thursday: Following breakfast- we will meet in the hotel lobby as a large group at 9:30. From here we will walk over to the National Library of Scotland. You will require a library card. This will take time to process the group. At 10:30, we will enjoy a talk on the resources available at the library followed by a tour of the library. The rest of the day will be available for research. If you require a taxi to get to the NLS, one will be ordered for you.  

Friday: This day is set aside for you to research in the local archives or Family History Society in the region where your ancestors lived. You may also choose to sightsee, shop or take a day trip instead.  

Saturday: Following breakfast, we will meet as a large group in the lobby of the hotel for 6:45. From here we will taxi to Stirling where we will enjoy a full day of learning at the Scottish Association of Family History Societies conference. Those who have made plans to stay overnight in Stirling will be on their own to get to the hotel they have booked. The rest of the group will be taken back to the hotel in Edinburgh.

Sunday: This day is set aside for you to research in the local archives or Family History Society in the region where your ancestors lived. You may also choose to sightsee, shop or take a day trip instead.

Monday: Following breakfast, we will meet in the hotel lobby as a large group for 8:45. From here we will taxi to ScotlandsPeople Centre where we will enjoy our final day of research.  

At 6:20pm, we will meet in the hotel lobby as a large group. From here we will taxi to Prestonfield where we will enjoy the Taste of Scotland Dinner and Show.

Tuesday: today is check-out day. I wish you safe travels as you return home with your newly found documents, stories and most of all, memories.

2015 Tour Dates Have Been Set

The spring genealogy research tour in Edinburgh has been scheduled for April 19 - 28, 2015. Please note that this tour will include the opportunity to take part in the annual Scottish Family History Societies Conference, being held in Stirling on April 25th.

This will lessen the time available to you to travel to the part of Scotland where your ancestors lived, so you may wish to stay in Scotland beyond the research tour in order to get to your ancestral home area. You will benefit more from this visit once you have completed your research, so plan to stay longer rather than arrive earlier.

Conference fees will be covered in the Tour fees, but transportation to Stirling will be an additional, nominal charge, payable on the day.

The 2015 tour is already booking up and space is limited in order to maximize the research experience. If you would like to join us in Edinburgh to research your family history onsite, and gain access to records not available online, visit the website at: https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/Tour_dates_and_Pricing.html
to reserve your place on the tour.

Couple Discount for Genealogy Research Trip to Scotland

Do you want to go to Scotland to do some family history research? Are you looking to travel to Scotland with a partner but finding that cost is getting in the way? Why not take advantage of our couples discounts:

For one genealogy researcher and one non-genealogy researcher: This is a BOGO offer (Buy One Get One). Pay full fees for the researcher and then receive a 50% discount for the non-researcher. This applies to two people sharing a room. The fees for the non-researcher include breakfast daily, the Ceilidh, and some transportation fees. No research fees, lecture fees or other fees will be covered.

For two genealogy researchers, save the registration fees for one person. This again applies to two people sharing a room. Once both people have paid their fees in full, you will receive a refund for the second registration fee ($450).

These are equal opportunity discounts. The second person can be a spouse, partner, sibling, cousin, family member, partner or friend but must be willing to share the hotel room with you.

Book your trip now at:

http://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/Home_Page.html

Come to Scotland. Do your research onsite. Search your roots and discover YOUR heritage.

Getting Closer

Six weeks today and I will be in Glasgow, just ahead of the Genealogy Research Trip in Edinburgh. With the time is getting closer, I decided to make sure my list of what I hope to accomplish is in order. Interestingly, this year's list reads very similar to last year's list! Although I managed a great deal of research last May and was able to fill in a lot of details and to gain a better understanding of the lives of my father's line, I apparently didn't give my "list" much of a glance! Perhaps this year I will do better....

So, once again, I hope to make a visit to Bent Cemetery in Hamilton to see the burial site of my 3X great grandfather and his son. They were killed together in a mining accident.

I want to read through the Kirk Session records to find out more about my gt grandmother and hopefully to ascertain what happened to her first husband.

I also want to get into the Nursing Archives in Edinburgh and the Edinburgh University Library.

I am looking forward to the SAFHS conference in Galashiels and perhaps spending time in the Borders region. 

And of course, I look forward to meeting the rest of the group and to sharing in their research excitement. 

Stay tuned to this blog for daily updates while we are in Scotland.  

Added Bonus for May 2013 Trip!

Co-incidentally, the Scottish Association of Family History Societies is having their annual conference while we are on our trip this year. The conference takes place in Galashiels this year, in the Scottish Borders. This is similar to the State or Provincial Genealogy Conferences here. There is a fee to attend the talks (6 in total) and I would be happy to cover those fees for you if you are interested in attending. The speakers will be top notch experts in their field. The theme this year is "Comings and Goings, Migration and Scotland" The list of talks can be found here: http://www.bordersfhs.org.uk/BFHSConference.asp

Anyone registered for the May Trip who also wishes to attend this conference can contact me at
genealogytoursofscotland@gmail.com for more information.

Remember book now and pay in full by February 15 to save $200!

www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca

 

VALENTINES DAY DISCOUNT - SAVE $200

Book your research trip to Scotland now and pay in full by February 2013 to save $200.

http://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/

A trip to your ancestral homeland is both awe-inspiring and humbling. It provides you with such a deep seated feeling of reverence knowing you stand in the same place where your ancestors walked. The sights, some of the landmarks and the sounds may have changed, but the deep emotion of knowing your great, great anything once stood in the same spot you are now standing in, or worshipped in the same church you are visiting is incomparable. It helps you put the dates, names and places into perspective.

Genealogy Tours of Scotland, takes groups to Scotland every spring to research in the repositories in Edinburgh, including the Scotland’s People Centre, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Genealogy Society. Arrangements can also be made for you to visit the family history society in your ancestral part of Scotland.

BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT AND TO SAVE $200!
http://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/

Discount for Couples Traveling Together May 2013

Do you want to go to Scotland to do some family history research? Are you looking to travel to Scotland with a partner but finding that cost is getting in the way? Why not take advantage of our couples discounts:

For one genealogy researcher and one non-genealogy researcher: This is a BOGO offer (Buy One Get One). Pay full fees for the researcher and then receive a 50% discount for the non-researcher. This applies to two people sharing a room. The fees for the non-researcher include breakfast daily, the Ceilidh, and some transportation fees. No research fees, lecture fees or other fees will be covered.

For two genealogy researchers, save the registration fees for one person. This again applies to two people sharing a room. Once both people have paid their fees in full, you will receive a refund for the second registration fee ($450).

These are equal opportunity discounts. The second person can be a spouse, partner, sibling, cousin, family member, partner or friend but must be willing to share the hotel room with you.

ONLY ONE COUPLE SPOT REMAINS AVAILABLE FOR THE MAY 2013 TRIP.

BOOK NOW AT: www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca

Give the Gift of Heritage

If you are looking for a special gift for your genealogy sleuth this Christmas, why not give them the gift of connecting with their ancestral heritage. Take them to Scotland. Allow them time in the archives to research their roots. Tour their villages, town, graveyards. Learn the history and culture. Create a memory of a lifetime. Help your genealogist search their roots and discover their heritage.
Non-genealogy partners travel for half price.


http://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/

Leaving My Paper Trail For My Descendants

It is interesting to me how I view things differently since I have been smitten by the genealogy obsession. What used to be routine and in some ways mundane has become a legacy for future generations. As I was filling out the landing card on my way to Scotland

and again as I was filling out the Canada Customs card en route to Toronto

I was aware that I was leaving my paper trail for future generations to discover. By filling out required government documents, I am helping my descendants trace my story 100 years from now. While they may not know the purpose of my visit, they will be aware that I went home for a period of time. Will they be thrilled to find the document? To see my own handwriting? Will they wonder what the purpose was? Will they check the documents against others to see if perhaps I had gone home for a wedding or funeral? Certainly, the documents will add pieces to their puzzle, but will they also add more unanswered questions? Will the documents pique curiosity? One can only hope.

Day Six - Old Places

Today is a national day of strike for the civil servants as they are protesting their pension reductions. That meant we had to be at Scotland's People Centre early to get time on the computers. There were only a few spots left, so I dropped the others and headed out to see some of the places I had read about in the documents I uncovered yesterday.

It was a lovely wee drive in the country past open fields and farms

And on into Kirknewton where my paternal grandmother was from. She went to this primary school and later taught here.

From Kirknewton, I took a drive through to Mid Calder and saw the area where all of the births and deaths from yesterdays records occured.

On my way back into Edinburgh, I stopped in what is now Fountain Park, but at the time was known as the Canongate area and went to see where my paternal grandpa was born - 13 Murdoch Terrace.

Not a bad day considering the damp, dreary weather.

Just the Packing Left to Do

All of the final details have been taken care of. Tickets have been printed and money exchanged. The attendee packages have been put together.

Now there is just the packing left to do. In just 24 hours, we will board the plane and get ready for a restless, sleepless night in the air. By Saturday morning,  I will be "home". I am looking forward to all that can be uncovered in a couple of undisturbed weeks in the archives. I am looking forward to spending time in my favourite city, Edinburgh. And I am looking forward to sharing the sights, scenery, culture and history of Scotland.

Ready or not, here I come................

Heading to Scotland

My updated passport arrived yesterday. The luggage is waiting to be packed. I am slowly organizing my research materials and getting them into Dropbox so I can access them from Scotland.

In six short weeks, I will be in Glasgow. It seemed ages away, but now here it is within grasp - the countdown is on. I am looking forward to wandering around the Necropolis. Hopefully the Glasgow weather will co-operate.

I have 2 brick walls in my research. My maternal great grandfather who left Scotland to "fight in the Boer War" although he never enlisted. He never returned. I am looking forward to meeting up with my great aunts to hear their version of what happened to Old Hugh. I am slowly making headway on him and hope to gather more info on this year's research trip. My other brick wall is my grandfather's first wife. She seems to have landed from Mars right before her marriage to my grandfather. Can't seem to find her before. Hopefully I will be able to make some headway on this one  too.

But I am more looking forward to rounding out the information I already have. Getting the Coroner's report and newspaper clippings of my great Uncle's death. Visiting the grave where my gt gt gt grandfather and his son are buried together. They died together in a mining accident. Andrew, the son, was all of 18. And getting to view the birth and marriage records for those ancestors who are too new to make the timelines for public accessibility.

I am looking forward to the hunt, to the find, to sharing the information and to the renewed sense of purpose once I return. Stay tuned to this blog. I hope to keep you up to date each day after our research.

Happy Hunting!

Getting Ready for Your Research Trip to Scotland

Although May still seems like a long way off, it is not too early to start getting ready for your research time in Scotland. Now is the time to start deciding how you are going to spend your time in the research facilities.

Here are a few tips to get you better organized:

1. Make sure that your Family Tree is up to date. If you can, make it portable. Have it on a laptop, iPad, tablet or smartphone so that you can access the information in Scotland. If you are not tech savvy, print off Family Group Sheets and write down what you are missing and hope to find when you are in Scotland.
2. Make a list of all of the documents you already have copies or originals of. This will prevent you wasting time searching for information you already have. Remember, you will be able to see births newer than 100 years, marriage records newer than 75 years and death records newer than 50 years, so you will want to make a list of the more recent records you want to have a look at while you are in Edinburgh.
3. Write out your brick walls and think about what you want to find out to help break those down. Do you need to look at parish records, voters rolls, apprentice records, maps, directories, newspapers? This will help to focus and guide your research time.

It is also not too early to make sure that your passport is valid and up to date. If you are traveling from Canada, the US, or Australia, you do NOT require a visa. Your passport is all that you will need and it must not expire before you return to your country of origin.

I am looking forward to our time together in Scotland.