Handling records in poor condition causes further damage. In such cases extensive conservation treatment is necessary to make records suitable to be produced and therefore available to scholars and researchers. I recently worked on an interesting court book dating between 1686 and 1714, a limp vellum binding containing a whole block of papers in seriously … Continue reading A fascinating investigation
A tale of a Government cat
While the exploits of Whitehall Cats – Palmerston and Larry most recently – have been recently making the news, cats in Government employ are nothing new. In fact, here at National Records of Scotland, we have evidence of a feline curiosity – a cat tasked with protecting records more than three centuries ago. The Exchequer … Continue reading A tale of a Government cat
Scotland’s Changing Population
National Records of Scotland (NRS) today publishes ‘Scotland’s Population 2016 – the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends’, alongside an infographic booklet which summarises the key trends in Scotland’s population. Tim Ellis, the Registrar General of Scotland, said: “The population of Scotland is at its highest ever at 5.4 million. It has grown by … Continue reading Scotland’s Changing Population
New PRSA Assessment Mechanism
Under the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011(PRSA) the Keeper of the Records of Scotland, NRS' chief executive Tim Ellis, assesses and agrees records management plans submitted by public authorities. Over 150 plans have been agreed to date, the majority under improvement. The PRSA Assessment Team, in consultation with our stakeholders, have now developed a user-friendly tool … Continue reading New PRSA Assessment Mechanism
The Scottish Longitudinal Study
You may have seen recent media coverage on the employment prospects of young people in Scotland from different social backgrounds. What you might not have realised is that this piece of research – and many others – relies on the Scottish Longitudinal Study in which National Records of Scotland is a partner. The Scottish Longitudinal … Continue reading The Scottish Longitudinal Study
Getting started with digital preservation
Our Digital Records Unit is launching two new digital preservation tools this summer. These guidance and capacity planning tools have been specifically developed for Scottish local authorities. They are the product of a 12 month project and will assist local authority archivists and record managers get started with digital preservation. The guidance tool will help … Continue reading Getting started with digital preservation
Trudeau’s Scottish family
You may well be aware that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Edinburgh this morning to meet the Queen. During his visit, he also visited the National Museum of Scotland, where he saw Canadian artefacts, as well as documents on his family history from National Records of Scotland which show his Scottish ancestry over … Continue reading Trudeau’s Scottish family
WW1 and the Census
Preparations are now under way for Scotland's Census 2021 but a hundred years ago the First World War had a dramatic impact on the people who planned and delivered the census in 1921. This photo shows Census staff in 1911 in what is now the Archivist's Garden between General Register House and New Register House … Continue reading WW1 and the Census
White gloves
If you watched and enjoyed “The Hector: From Scotland to Nova Scotia” on BBC 2 yesterday (if you missed the programme it’s currently on the iplayer), you’ll have seen Neil Oliver viewing documents in our Historical Search Room. You may also have noticed he’s wearing white gloves – something we don’t generally require readers in … Continue reading White gloves
How are households in Scotland changing?
Every year, National Records of Scotland estimates how many households there are in Scotland, and how many people live in the average household. Households can be groups of people living together in homes, or single people living alone in a home. Why is this important? Well, knowing how many households there are, and how many … Continue reading How are households in Scotland changing?
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