To help you determine which site you need to visit, the main functions and services of the former organisations are listed below:

Preserving the Past

We look after Scotland’s national archives so that they are available for current and future generations. We advise other bodies on the care of archives, and maintain the National Register of Archives for Scotland, which keeps track of archives in private hands.

Recording the Present

At local registration offices you may register births, deaths, stillbirths, marriages and civil partnerships. National Records of Scotland is also responsible for maintaining centrally a register of divorces, a register of adoptions and the National Health Service Central Register. We advise a wide range of public bodies on the care and management of the records they create.

Informing the Future

We are responsible for running Scotland's Census. We collect, analyse and publish official demographic statistics, drawn from the Census and other sources, to inform government policy on everything from health to housing and education. Information on the 2011 Census is available on the Scotland's Census website. We provide research facilities both in Edinburgh and online for people researching all aspects of Scottish life, including historians and genealogists. We are responsible for identifying records from public bodies such as Scottish Government, the courts and the Scottish Parliament which are of permanent historical value and ensuring that these are added to the nation’s archives.