Trace your Irish origins with AncestryDNA—from regions down to counties.
Explore your family’s Scottish history with Ancestry.Explore your family’s Scottish history with Ancestry.
Discover your ties to Scotland through millions of family history records, detailed geographic insights, personal traits, and more.Discover your ties to Scotland through millions of family history records, detailed geographic insights, personal traits, and more.
Free for 14 days*
*Terms apply.
Ancestry can connect you to Scotland’s rich culture and heritage.Ancestry can connect you to Scotland’s rich culture and heritage.
Start your journey of discovery with this collection of engaging videos and thoughtful articles—from how kilts were made to the long-standing tradition of the Highland Games.
Start your journey of discovery with this collection of engaging videos and thoughtful articles—from how to make soda bread to learning the Irish language.
Video
Say What: Must-Know Scottish Slang
Video
Explore Scotland’s Rich History
Over 10M AncestryDNA members with Scottish heritage
Over 800K members discovered Scottish ancestors on Ancestry
Over 10M AncestryDNA members with Scottish heritage
Over 800K members discovered Scottish ancestors on Ancestry
AncestryDNA can pinpoint your roots to specific areas within Scotland and reveal insightful geographic details about your history.AncestryDNA can pinpoint your roots to specific areas within Scotland and reveal insightful geographic details about your history.
You can discover important moments in Scottish history with AncestryDNA.You can discover important moments in Scottish history with AncestryDNA.
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Central Ireland
Central Ireland
1800-1825
Agriculture & Industry
England violently suppressed the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and an act in 1800 placed Ireland completely under British rule. While some people found work manufacturing rope, iron, and linen, most still relied on agriculture. Crops such as oats, barley, and corn were often exported to England, and potatoes were one of the only crops cultivated for Irish use.
Next: Leinster
Kempe / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
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Leinster
Leinster
1900-1950
Feeling at Home Abroad
The number of emigrants leaving Leinster decreased due to WWI, changes to American immigration legislation, and Leinster becoming more prosperous. Government legislation provided loans to tenant farmers to purchase their holdings and revolutionized land ownership.
Next: Munster
Giuseppe Milo / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
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Munster
Munster
1925-1950
Making It in America
Although early Irish immigrants had faced prejudice in America because of their religious beliefs and fears over their clannish behavior, Irish Americans were now in the mainstream. Their unity, growing numbers, and activism had made them a force in politics, the church, and the labor movement in major cities like Chicago, Boston, and New York.
Next: Ulster
Andrew Crump / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
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Ulster
Ulster
1875-1900
Lands of Opportunity
Crop failures and land troubles continued to fuel Irish immigration. Steamships were larger, faster, and cheaper, which made migrants’ sea voyages easier. Along with the promise of opportunity, money from relatives already living in America allowed friends and family to join established Irish communities in cities like Chicago.
Next: See all Irish communities
Andrew Crump / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
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See all Irish communities
See all Irish communities
Find more fascinating geographic and historical details for these communities in Ireland:
- • Connacht
- • Donegal
- • Northern Ireland
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Chris Hoare / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
North East Scotland & the Northern Isles
1700-1725
Town & Country
In the early 1700s, most people in the North-East and Northern Isles of Scotland made their living from farming and fishing. They lived in one-room cottages, clustered together in small rural settlements known as fermtouns, or in fishing villages dotted along the coast. Towns, or burghs, were home to skilled craftsmen and merchants.
Next: Scottish Central Lowlands
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Lacegna / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
Scottish Central Lowlands
1825-1850
A People on the Move
Lowland Scotland’s ever-growing cities and industrial towns continued to attract workers from rural areas. In 1843, a split within the Church of Scotland led to the creation of the Free Church. The old church-based system of poor relief also no longer fit the country’s growing urban society.
Next: Scottish Highlands & Islands
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Robert J Heath / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
Scottish Highlands & Islands
1925-1950
Young Highlanders Leaving Home
Young people were attracted by jobs in the Lowlands or new lives overseas, particularly to American and Canadian cities where manufacturing work was plentiful. In 1930, the last remaining inhabitants left the remote Island of St Kilda for the mainland. The Second World War brought further changes to Scottish society and new faces to the Highlands.
Next: See all Scottish communities
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See all Scottish communities
Find more geographic and historical details if you have roots in these AncestryDNA® communities in Scotland:
• Northern Ireland & South West Scotland
• Scottish Lowlands, Northern England & Northern Ireland
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Central Ireland
Central Ireland
1800-1825
Agriculture & Industry
England violently suppressed the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and an act in 1800 placed Ireland completely under British rule. While some people found work manufacturing rope, iron, and linen, most still relied on agriculture. Crops such as oats, barley, and corn were often exported to England, and potatoes were one of the only crops cultivated for Irish use.
Next: Leinster
Kempe / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
-
Leinster
Leinster
1900-1950
Feeling at Home Abroad
The number of emigrants leaving Leinster decreased due to WWI, changes to American immigration legislation, and Leinster becoming more prosperous. Government legislation provided loans to tenant farmers to purchase their holdings and revolutionized land ownership.
Next: Munster
Giuseppe Milo / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
-
Munster
Munster
1925-1950
Making It in America
Although early Irish immigrants had faced prejudice in America because of their religious beliefs and fears over their clannish behavior, Irish Americans were now in the mainstream. Their unity, growing numbers, and activism had made them a force in politics, the church, and the labor movement in major cities like Chicago, Boston, and New York.
Next: Ulster
Andrew Crump / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
-
Ulster
Ulster
1875-1900
Lands of Opportunity
Crop failures and land troubles continued to fuel Irish immigration. Steamships were larger, faster, and cheaper, which made migrants’ sea voyages easier. Along with the promise of opportunity, money from relatives already living in America allowed friends and family to join established Irish communities in cities like Chicago.
Next: See all Irish communities
Andrew Crump / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
-
See all Irish communities
See all Irish communities
Find more fascinating geographic and historical details for these communities in Ireland:
- • Connacht
- • Donegal
- • Northern Ireland
-
Central Ireland
Kempe / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
1800-1825
Agriculture & Industry
England violently suppressed the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and an act in 1800 placed Ireland completely under British rule. While some people found work manufacturing rope, iron, and linen, most still relied on agriculture. Crops such as oats, barley, and corn were often exported to England, and potatoes were one of the only crops cultivated for Irish use.
Next: Leinster
-
Leinster
Giuseppe Milo / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
1900-1950
Feeling at Home Abroad
The number of emigrants leaving Leinster decreased due to WWI, changes to American immigration legislation, and Leinster becoming more prosperous. Government legislation provided loans to tenant farmers to purchase their holdings and revolutionized land ownership.
Next: Munster
-
Munster
Andrew Crump / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
1925-1950
Making It in America
Although early Irish immigrants had faced prejudice in America because of their religious beliefs and fears over their clannish behavior, Irish Americans were now in the mainstream. Their unity, growing numbers, and activism had made them a force in politics, the church, and the labor movement in major cities like Chicago, Boston, and New York.
Next: Ulster
-
Ulster
Fred Bigio / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
1875-1900
Lands of Opportunity
Crop failures and land troubles continued to fuel Irish immigration. Steamships were larger, faster, and cheaper, which made migrants’ sea voyages easier. Along with the promise of opportunity, money from relatives already living in America allowed friends and family to join established Irish communities in cities like Chicago.
Next: See all Irish communities
-
See all Irish Communities
Find more fascinating geographic and historical details for these communities in Ireland:
- • Connacht
- • Donegal
- • Northern Ireland
• Eastern Jalisco, Aguascalientes & Western Guanajuato • Indigenous Americas–Mexico • Indigenous Americas–Yucatan Peninsula • New Mexico & Southern Colorado • Northeastern Mexico • Northeastern Mexico & South Texas • Northwestern Durango • Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas & South Texas • Sinaloa • Southern Zacatecas • Western Jalisco
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North East Scotland & the Northern Isles
1700-1725
Town & Country
In the early 1700s, most people in the North-East and Northern Isles of Scotland made their living from farming and fishing. They lived in one-room cottages, clustered together in small rural settlements known as fermtouns, or in fishing villages dotted along the coast. Towns, or burghs, were home to skilled craftsmen and merchants.
Next: Scottish Central Lowlands
Chris Hoare / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
-
Scottish Central Lowlands
1825-1850
A People on the Move
Lowland Scotland’s ever-growing cities and industrial towns continued to attract workers from rural areas. In 1843, a split within the Church of Scotland led to the creation of the Free Church. The old church-based system of poor relief also no longer fit the country’s growing urban society.
Next: Scottish Highlands & Islands
Lacegna / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
-
Scottish Highlands & Islands
1925-1950
Young Highlanders Leaving Home
Young people were attracted by jobs in the Lowlands or new lives overseas, particularly to American and Canadian cities where manufacturing work was plentiful. In 1930, the last remaining inhabitants left the remote Island of St Kilda for the mainland. The Second World War brought further changes to Scottish society and new faces to the Highlands.
Next: See all Scottish communities
Robert J Heath / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
-
See all Scottish communities
Find more geographic and historical details if you have roots in these AncestryDNA communities in Scotland:
- • Northern Ireland & South West Scotland
- • Scottish Lowlands, Northern England & Northern Ireland
-
Chris Hoare / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
North East Scotland & the Northern Isles
1700-1725
Town & Country
In the early 1700s, most people in the North-East and Northern Isles of Scotland made their living from farming and fishing. They lived in one-room cottages, clustered together in small rural settlements known as fermtouns, or in fishing villages dotted along the coast. Towns, or burghs, were home to skilled craftsmen and merchants.
Next: Scottish Central Lowlands
-
Lacegna / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
Scottish Central Lowlands
1825-1850
A People on the Move
Lowland Scotland’s ever-growing cities and industrial towns continued to attract workers from rural areas. In 1843, a split within the Church of Scotland led to the creation of the Free Church. The old church-based system of poor relief also no longer fit the country’s growing urban society.
Next: Scottish Highlands & Islands
-
Robert J Heath / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped
Scottish Highlands & Islands
1925-1950
Young Highlanders Leaving Home
Young people were attracted by jobs in the Lowlands or new lives overseas, particularly to American and Canadian cities where manufacturing work was plentiful. In 1930, the last remaining inhabitants left the remote Island of St Kilda for the mainland. The Second World War brought further changes to Scottish society and new faces to the Highlands.
Next: See all Scottish communities
-
See all Scottish communities
Find more geographic and historical details if you have roots in these AncestryDNA communities in Scotland:
• Northern Ireland & South West Scotland
• Scottish Lowlands, Northern England & Northern Ireland
Ancestry gives you access to millions of records from Scotland.Ancestry gives you access to millions of records from Scotland.
Uncover new details and stories about your Scottish family members.
Uncover new details and stories about your Scottish family members.
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Find family details in over 31 million Scottish birth, marriage, and death records.
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Discover interesting facts in over 67 million Scottish census and voter lists.
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Browse nearly 2 million Scottish court, land, and financial records.
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Search over 60,000 immigration and emigration records from Scotland.
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Honor veterans through over 3,000 Scottish military records.
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Read stories in over 64,000 Scottish newspaper entries.
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*Requires World Explorer or All Access free trial. Terms apply.
What personal traits do people with Scottish heritage say they share?
What personal traits do people with Scottish heritage say they share?
From cilantro aversion to freckles, see what personal traits AncestryDNA members with Scottish roots may have in common.
From cilantro aversion to freckles, see what personal traits AncestryDNA members with Scottish roots may have in common.
