JOIN US FOR A GENEALOGY TOUR TO ORKNEY!

Join me for a genealogy research tour to Orkney. 

The tour is scheduled for May 24-31, 2020. We will be staying at the Shore Hotel. 

Arrival will be on the Sunday and check out on the following Sunday. This allows time to just enjoy Orkney.

We will be stationed in Kirkwall which has the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace.

The tour fees are $2995 canadian and include:

·         7 nights hotel

·        7 breakfasts

·         3 days of research

·         Day trip around the western half of Mainland Orkney

·         Day trip around the eastern side of Mainland Orkney

·         Ring of Brodgar and Stones of Stenness

·         Skara Brae & Skaill House

·         The Bishops Palace

·         Maes Howe

·         Churchill Barriers

·         Italian Chapel (additional £3)

I can take people into Stromness for a stroll. It is a lovely wee place, full of history. The buildings have historical plaques on them letting you know their history. The museum is small but well worth a visit. We can return via the round church in Orphir. If you would like to go to any of the smaller islands, I recommend you plan additional time in Orkney. 

To register: https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/orkney-2020.html

** non researchers are welcome. If accompanying a researcher, there will be a discount. If you wish to see Orkney without researching, your fees will be the same as the researcher fees. 

Driving Through My Family History

On Monday morning, I left Peebles to head to Edinburgh. I had a couple of stops in Glasgow before making my way to the hotel in Edinburgh where I was to meet up with this Tour's participants. 

After leaving Glasgow, I ended up taking the 'Scenic' route, or the route through the countryside, rather than driving the M8. This was such a fascinating drive as it took me through the places where my ancestors had lived. 

I drove past the exit for Coatbridge where my aunty lived (and my cousin still does!), past the exit for Shotts, where my mum's family lived for three generations and where several are buried, through Carluke where my dad's ancestor was a land overseer. I passed through Carnwath (a much larger place than I had imagined) where my maternal line had lived and where children had been born. 

As I drove past each exit to an ancestral town or village, or as I drove through an ancestral town or village, I was able to conjure up the names of the people who had lived there, wondering what their lives had been like at the time. It was a lovely drive between Scotland's two largest cities, and a terrific way to connect with the people whose lives I have been researching the past 15 years. 

ONLY 4 SPACES LEFT FOR SEPT 2017 RESEARCH TOUR

There are only 4 research spaces left for the September 2017 Genealogy Research Tour in Edinburgh. The dates are Sept 18 - 27, 2017.

Tour fees include:

• pre-tour preparation webinars
• pre-tour preparation package
• assistance to plan a visit to your ancestral part of Scotland
• 9 nights accommodation
• 9 full breakfasts
• Overview of records in each facility
• 5 full days of research
• daily research fees
• daily transportation to research facilities
• time to travel to your ancestral home area
• additional day to research locally
• optional evening tours
• evening at the Taste of Scotland dinner and show

Don't miss out! Book NOW!

Just 2 Research Spaces Left for May 2016 Genealogy Research Tour to Scotland

Eleven months out and the 2016 Genealogy Research Tour to Scotland is nearing capacity. Only TWO research spaces remain.

As any family history researcher will tell you, there is great excitement when you find your ancestor in a document. Tangible verification of their existence. And there is a sense of wonder when you see their signature. It is almost as if  you could reach out and touch them. 

Multiply that by infinity when you walk the streets they walked, see the houses they lived in, the factories they worked in, the churches they worshiped in. Feel the deep and lasting connection to them as you stand at their gravesite. 

These moments provide a deep sense of affinity for your ancestors. A deep appreciation of their battles and struggles. A sense of pride as they overcame in order to carry on.

All of this culminates in an irreducible sense of belonging as you come to understand not only their story but also your own history. How you came to be.

If you are ready to experience a sense of being whole, connected, belonging to your Scottish ancestors, join us on our next Genealogy Tour in May 2016.

Only 2 research spaces remain, so book before you miss out on this life-changing experience.

Book now:  https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/