The National Library of Scotland has a website called “Scots Abroad: Stories of Scottish Emigration.” There are six stories of Scottish emigration that range from the 1770s to the 1930s.
You can choose to read or listen to extracts from letters. There are image thumbnails which you can click on to view larger images.
There are tabs that relate to:
“Preparing to go” which looks at why they left Scotland, where they went and other resources to help you with your research.
“Arriving and settling in” looks at the transportation taken to the new world, what occupations they undertook and how they settled into their new way of life.
“Building communities” examines how the emigrants rebuilt their lives in their new homes. They look at basic necessities, spiritual needs and Scottish and local customs among other topics.
“Keeping identity” looks at how the Scots kept their cultural traditions in their new homes. They tended to idealize their homeland and some returned home.
The last section is “Resources” which provides printed and online resources to help you continue your research.
This is a website you may want to check when researching the reasons behind your Scottish ancestor’s emigration and how they created a life in their new home.
©2011 – Blair Archival Research All Rights Reserved