National Records of Scotland

Preserving the past, Recording the present, Informing the future

Birth, Death and Marriage Records

Birth, Death and Marriage Records

The majority of Scottish birth, death and marriage records are held in the custody of the Registrar General for Scotland at New Register House in Edinburgh.  There are separate guides to each of the registers which you can access at the links below.

You can order an official extract (or certificate) of an entry in the registers.

Birth, Death and Marriage Records from 1855 to the Present Day

Statutory civil registration was introduced in Scotland on 1 January 1855.  The related records are as follows:

Pre-1855 Birth, Death and Marriage Records

The Church of Scotland had responsibility for registration before 1 January 1855 but a few of the records listed below were created by other churches or by private individuals.

Our genealogical gems page has interesting examples from the registers.

Other Related Registers