Early Modern Scottish Palaeography: Reading Scotland's Records

Explore Scottish history and learn more about using historical sources

Palaeography is the study of ancient handwriting and a vital skill in the historian’s toolkit. It is essential when conducting research on early modern Scotland – a period of profound political, religious and social change the effects of which can still be felt today.

On this course you’ll travel back through Scottish history by studying material from the National Records of Scotland and other archives. You’ll explore diverse topics in Scotland’s past, get an introduction to various forms of historical sources and develop your own palaeography skills.

This course is for anyone interested in the history of Scotland, but will be of particular interest to local historians and genealogists.

While the Educators themselves aren’t available to facilitate this run, we encourage you to engage with other learners and there are opportunities to do this throughout the course.

This course is for anyone interested in the history of Scotland, but will be of particular interest to local historians and genealogists.

While the Educators themselves aren’t available to facilitate this run, we encourage you to engage with other learners and there are opportunities to do this throughout the course.

• The ability to read and interpret early modern manuscripts.
• The specialist skills required to transcribe documents.
• An understanding of how historical research is conducted.
• Knowledge of politics, religion and society in early modern Scotland.
• Familiarity with extant records stored in Scottish archives.
• Expertise in handling the kirk session records of the Church of Scotland.