Thanks to the historical tendency for Scots to set sail from their homeland and sow the seeds of hyphenated diasporan communities around the world, the genealogical aspects of Scottish archives have long been a significant tourist attraction for generations of those emigrants’ progeny. As befits a nation sometimes accused of being obsessed with the past, however, Scotland collectively holds an untold wealth of material enshrining its distant and recent history, which extend far beyond will and parish records.

New technologies are of course in the process of revolutionising the archives sector, with Scottish resources well up in the field as regards the rollout of digital storage and cataloguing, while a range of online networking projects have cut out long stretches of investigative legwork for researchers. As scholars continue to discover, however, in the dustier recesses of such august institutions as the National Library or the National Archives of Scotland still lurk centuries-old manuscripts, song collections and other long forgotten cultural treasures awaiting potential discovery.

The National Archives of Scotland is an agency of the Scottish Government headed by the Keeper of the Records of Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, its mission is to select, preserve, and make available the national archives of Scotland in whatever medium, to the highest standards; to promote the growth and maintenance of proper archive provision throughout the country; and to lead the development of archival practice in Scotland. The NAS also holds historical records created by businesses, landed estates, families, churches and other corporate bodies. Every year tens of thousands of people from all over the world use the NAS's services to carry out research, seek advice on record keeping, and enhance the learning and teaching of history.

The majority of Scotland's 32 local authorities maintain their own archives, although some of these take the form of 'local history libraries' rather than formal record offices. The three local authorities covering the registration county of Ayrshire - South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire - manage a joint archive service, Ayrshire Archives.

Other archives in Scotland include university archives, ecclesiastical archives, regimental and clan archives, and bank and business archives.

A detailed overview of the Scottish archives sector will follow as soon as possible - contributions are invited from practitioners working in this sector, please contact Tim Doling at [email protected]

Meanwhile make direct contact with organisations and individuals working in this sector through our extensive database of KEY CONTACTS.