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The Red Books of Scotland
Now available as a series of nine volumes each extending to over 900 pages of fully-referenced genealogical accounts.
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Evidence Based Research
Thirty years of research, thousands of original documents and registers already searched through to extract genealogical information.
Welcome to the official website for the Red Book of Scotland, a project dedicated to researching Scotland's genealogical heritage.
1987 was the year in which the first parts of what was to become the Red Book of Scotland project were brought together. From then until now research has been continual and has focused on searching through thousands of extant primary source records to accurately compile in-depth and comprehensive genealogical accounts of many of Scotland's principal families. Read More ->
! Fifth Edition Now Available !
As of 19 February 2024, the Fifth Edition of the Red Book is now available in an extended 18 volumes series.
For further information see ->
I am proud to announce that the Red Book of Scotland is now also available via Tanner Ritchie Publishing!
As well as being publishers of a vast range of references works, Tanner Ritchie are also the sole distributors of digital editions of all Scottish Record Society publications. These are an essential source for any serious researcher of Scottish history so be sure to check out their catalogue.
I am delighted to announce that the Red Book of Scotland is now available at the University of Strathclyde.
The University of Strathclyde offer excellent courses in the field of Genealogical Research. These range from beginner to intermediate 8 weeks classes through to a Masters Degree. Postgraduate and PhD courses are also available. For further information follow the link opposite.
We are pleased to announce that the Red Book of Scotland is now available at the University of Glasgow.
The Red Book of Scotland is now available in the students library of the University of Glasgow as well as in the Baillie Collection for Postgraduates and Members of Staff.
Find My Past
Don't forget that you can also find a selection of entries from the Red Book of Scotland series at the excellent Find My Past.
ANCESTRY.com
We are pleased to announce that the Red Book of Scotland is now available internationally at Ancestry.com
Reviews
The Red Book in its totality brings this information to life in the 21st century and is part of what links these families to the history of our nation today. It is written in such a way as to make the information accessible to both professional researchers and those with a special interest in the subject. Gordon MacGregor's work can be seen as both a cairn and milestone in this field and adds greatly to the understanding of Scottish history
Dr Joseph J Morrow, CVO, CBE, KC, FRSE The Rt Hon Lord Lyon King of Arms
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"A fundamental requirement for many researchers of Scottish history, whether local or national, in the Highlands or in the Lowlands, is that they possess a grasp of the tangled family trees of the nation’s magnates and gentry. Designed to satisfy this need, Gordon MacGregor’s Red Book of Scotland is an ambitious nine-volume, 9,500-page genealogical blockbuster going far beyond existing individual clan and family histories. Synthesising published sources with meticulous original archival research, it offers a panoramic view of the hundreds of families who administered Scotland’s regions from the medieval era to the modern day. Laid out with admirable clarity, fully sourced and fully searchable electronically, its eight volumes allow the user to identify and locate specific individuals, as well as to trace the rise and fall of kindreds – and kindred alliances – down through the centuries. A classic in the making, breathtakingly encyclopaedic in scope, The Red Book of Scotland offers its readers the addictive qualities of a Scottish Debrett’s or Almanach de Gotha."
Dr. Domhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart, Senior Lecturer/Course Leader MSc Material and Gàidhealtachd History, Sabhal Mor Ostaig.
Some of the other comments we regularly receive:
I have been a student of ecclesiastical history, particularly of the northern mainland dioceses of Moray, Ross and Caithness, for well over twenty years and have grappled with many problems of genealogy from time to time. When I read your eminently sensible comments about Freskyn de Moravia I almost shouted out loud - at last someone who adopts a serious (scientific)approach to genealogy.
We would like to acknowledge and thank Gordon MacGregor, author of The Red Books of Scotland for his kind and generous donation of a full set of the updated volumes to our Archive. This is a fantastic resource and will be of benefit to those researching prominent Fife family histories and of a wider Scotland. Fife Family History Society ->
The book was great for fact checking and ensuring we were telling the right story. The panels that are now in the North West tower don't go into enormous detail, but they do rest on solid ground - National Trust for Scotland.
I am writing on behalf of the Baillie Collection held by the Scottish History area here at the University of Glasgow. We would like to acquire a set of the the Red Books for staff and postgraduate researchers - University of Glasgow.
What a marvelous work, you are to be thoroughly congratulated.
Our lecturer says his department have been reviewing these volumes in the most positive terms
It is a monumental piece of work and I do congratulate you
I’m absolutely delighted to have a copy and cannot thank you enough! It is a true treasure trove for anyone interested in Scotland’s landed families, and based on (presumably) countless hours of painstaking research.
Hats off sir, your work continues to amaze.
Many enjoyable hours have been spent with the volumes.
Simply outstanding
I like the well-researched volumes very much.
A staggering body of work. There is no doubt the Red Book will become the "industry standard" for all genealogical inquiries.
Thanks to you and the Red Book, within half an hour I had located my Robertson and Stewart ancestors and had taken my family all the way back to the 12th century.
I cannot begin to thank you for your time and expertise in putting a work like this together. What an achievement!
You've made a nice dent in my genealogy for me, and I thank you very much for that.
Thank you for all of your work, compiling the plethora of information; very much appreciated!
Firstly I must congratulate on your work - an outstanding feat of research.
Thank you for putting these books together. They are wonderful. I have already found things in them that aid me in my research.
Your research has been absolutely crucial in allowing me to trace who these people were, and the family connections between them.
For over a year now I have been heavily involved in research into Highland Perthshire during the late eighteenth century, and there is not a month that goes past when I don't profit from your research.
Updates: As of August 2019, the Red Book of Scotland is also now available at the University of Strathclyde.
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