Research



Scotland's Greatest Story is your very own family history. Led by professional genealogist Chris Paton BA (Hons), HND, PgDip Genealogical Studies, the service can help to bring your ancestral story back to life in a variety of ways:

Basic family tree research - using many private records in Scotland not available online.

Overcoming brick walls - including the use of Scottish church records not available online (non-established churches) land records, DNA testing, etc.

Site visits to photograph ancestral homes and relevant gravestones

Heraldry - identifying the Scottish coats of arms and heraldic devices used by your ancestors

Contextual research - tracing articles and publications written by or about your ancestors, providing an understanding of the times in which they lived

Surname research - explaining the origins of your surname

Relatives tracing - searching for historic descendants in Scotland, or current relatives within the country as well as the rest of the United Kingdom

Palaeography - transcribing 16th to 18th century documents or relevance to your family historywritten in the old form of Secretary Hand

For further information visit
An example of a detailed research report is freely available at www.patonbutchersayrshire.co.uk/history.php