Archives and Research

How To: Research

Researching Scotland's Towns and Cities

Cover of a document showing a symbol of a book and a magnifying glass.

Download this series of guides to help you research Scotland's buildings and urban spaces using archives, online databases and newspapers. Each document covers a different element of researching the historic environment:

  • An Introduction to Using Archives, Local History and Special Collections
  • Online Catalogues and Databases
  • Historic Environment Scotland Resources 
  • Buildings, Towns and Cities
  • Places and People
  • Newspapers and Multimedia Collections
  • Using Aerial Photographs to Study the Urban Past
  • Top Tips for Research

These How To guides were created as part of a series for Scotland’s Urban Past (SUP), a community-engagement project we ran from 2014-19. The project supported communities in recording, researching and celebrating the history on their doorsteps.

Share