Looking Back - Scottish Ancestry

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Looking Back - Scottish Ancestry

Hi, I’m Nicole, a genealogist in Dunfermline, Scotland. I specialise in tracing Scottish roots, reading old records, and crafting detailed family histories.

Let’s uncover your ancestors' stories and bring your heritage alive!

05/10/2025

There’s something truly special about holding your family history in your hands — seeing the names, faces, and stories of those who came before you brought together in a beautifully designed keepsake.

At Looking Back – Scottish Ancestry, every book is carefully researched and lovingly crafted. From fragile handwritten records to timeless old photographs, I weave generations of history into an elegant heirloom your family can treasure for years to come.

Whether it’s a meaningful gift, a legacy project, or simply a way to honour your roots — your story deserves to be told with beauty and care.

Below are a few examples of my recent work. Could your family’s story be the next one to come to life in design?

➡️ Message me today to begin your own journey of discovery.

13/09/2025

I need your help!

I’m cooking up some new content ideas, but before I dive in, I want to know what YOU actually want to see more of here!

Would you love:

Family history stories that bring the past to life
Quick-fire hints & tips for doing your own research
Old-school photography & records that spark curiosity
A behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of a genealogist
Questions & Answers
Or something totally different?

Your feedback = the future of this page. Drop your favourites in the comments!

12/09/2025

Walking in My Ancestors’ Footsteps

Family history research sometimes takes you across continents – and sometimes it leads you right back home.

I recently discovered that my 7x great-grandparents, Lawrence Stocks and Margaret Stobie, were married in 1775 in the parish of Saline, Fife – just 6 miles from where I live today.

The Stocks family didn’t just pass through Saline. For generations, they worked the land here as farm labourers and stewards in places like Longfauld, Kineddar, and Moor-mealen. (Present day Muirmealan)

In the 18th and 19th centuries, life as a farm labourer was no doubt tough but steady: long days of ploughing, sowing, harvesting, and tending livestock, often for little pay but with strong ties to the local community. A steward, by contrast, carried more responsibility – managing the farm on behalf of the landowner, organising workers, and overseeing the productivity of the estate. These roles kept the Stocks family at the very heart of Saline’s agricultural life.

It feels incredible to know that the same rolling fields I see today were once both the workplace and livelihood of my ancestors. Over 250 years later, their connection to this land still echoes in the place names and parish records.

Have you ever discovered ancestors who once lived in the very same places you know today?

01/09/2025

Over the past few months, I’ve been volunteering with a forces charity on a heritage programme, researching civilian deaths during the Second World War. As part of this project, the team is cleaning and restoring 169 headstones that honour civilians who were killed in the local area (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk) by enemy action during WWII.

We’re working to uncover more details about these individuals and trace any surviving relatives so they can be invited to a special ceremony later this year.

One case that has really stayed with me involves a mother and her 14-year-old son who were tragically killed during a bombing raid. Stories like theirs bring home the devastating human impact of the war and make this work feel even more meaningful.

It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience — learning about the lives behind the names, and deepening my understanding of how the war shaped families and communities, particularly across Norfolk. I feel privileged to play a small part in ensuring these stories are remembered.

28/07/2025

So many of our ancestors were part of this story. Whether working the looms at home or in the great mills of Dunfermline, generations of local families helped weave a legacy that reached around the world. A rich part of our heritage worth remembering and celebrating.

21/07/2025

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08/07/2025

In Memory of Alexander Carr – One of Many Lost to the Mines

On 15th February 1901, my three x great-grandfather Alexander Carr died in the Hill of Beath mining disaster, one of the worst pit tragedies in Fife's history. He was only 43 years old.

Alexander was an oversman at the Hill of Beath Colliery. That morning, a fire broke out deep underground—likely smouldering for weeks unnoticed—and deadly gases filled the workings. When it became clear that several men were trapped, Alexander didn’t hesitate. He volunteered to go down and help with the rescue efforts.

He went underground multiple times, until on his final descent, he was overcome by white damp—the silent killer known today as carbon monoxide. He died trying to reach those still missing. He left behind a wife and seven children.

Alexander Carr is just one of many members of my family who tragically lost their lives in the pits. Mining was the lifeblood of so many communities here in Fife—but it came at a heart-breaking cost for countless families like mine.

Seven men died that day in Hill of Beath:

Alexander Carr
Robert Birrell
Andrew Nasmyth
Patrick McRoberts
James McFarlane
Martin McTearn
James Reid

They died not just in the course of their work, but in an attempt to save others. Their bravery and sacrifice deserve to be remembered. Their courage was recognised in local newspapers at the time, which described their actions as “a plucky and self-sacrificing deed”.

More than 120 years later, I honour Alexander and all the men in my family who worked the pits and never came home. We carry their names forward.

Do you have mining history in your family?
Would you like to uncover the stories of your mining ancestors?

Visit my website to find out how I can help you trace your Scottish mining heritage:

www.scottishancestry.co.uk

🖤

27/06/2025

While I was visiting the National Records of Scotland this week, I was contacted by Nancy, who had travelled all the way from the United States to visit Scotland, in search of her Scottish ancestry, and in particular, her great-grandfather, Alexander Tod’s, final resting place.

After a bit of detective work, I located his death record, which showed he had been living in Leith, Edinburgh. Some further digging turned up a 1914 newspaper notice confirming the date and place of his funeral—Rosebank Cemetery, Edinburgh.

With over 2,000 memorials in this cemetery, it was no small feat, but Nancy and her husband searched tirelessly—and they found him! Alexander’s headstone, buried with his wife and several children who died in infancy, still standing over a century later, was given a gentle tidy-up and a beautiful bunch of flowers to mark the moment.

Isn’t it lovely? And just look at Nancy’s smile 🥹

I was truly delighted to help in this endeavour, and I hope this discovery has became a treasured memory from their Scottish adventure.

26/06/2025

After months of hard work behind the scenes, Looking Back – Scottish Ancestry finally has a new online home! You can now explore all of my services, research packages, and more about me and what I do at:

www.scottishancestry.co.uk

Whether you're starting your family tree or want to dig deeper into your Scottish roots, I offer expert genealogical research with a personal touch.

To celebrate the launch, I’m offering 20% off all research packages, individual services and my hourly rate if booked before July 31st – a great opportunity to begin your journey into the past or surprise a loved one with something truly unique.

Take a look, share with friends, and feel free to get in touch with any questions.

19/06/2025

Website Launch Coming Soon

I am so pleased to announce that the official website for Looking Back – Scottish Ancestry is nearly ready to go live....

The website provides a clear overview of the services I offer, including bespoke family history research, document analysis, and lineage packages designed to uncover and preserve your Scottish heritage.

Clients will be able to explore package options, and easily get in touch to begin their ancestral journey.

It’s been an exciting project to bring together, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you very soon!

12/06/2025

This week marks the final stage of my current module in Genealogical Studies with the University of Strathclyde — my last assessment is due on Monday the 16th, and I’m nearly there! It’s been a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey, and I’m excited for what lies ahead this summer.

During the summer break, I’ll be volunteering on a fascinating research project focused on civilian deaths during WWII. In collaboration with the University and a forces charity, we’ll be working to document and honour the stories of those affected by conflict on the home front — particularly in Norfolk, East Anglia. I'm looking forward to deepening my knowledge of English research methods through this important work.

I’m also hoping to fit in a research trip somewhere in Scotland to continue exploring my own family tree. And looking a little further ahead, I’m starting to plan a journey to Ireland — with Donegal and surrounding areas firmly on the map, as I trace the roots of my paternal line.

Here’s to a summer of stories, research, and remembrance — both personal and shared.

Address

Dunfermline

Website

http://www.scottishancestry.co.uk/

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