Scottish Handwriting

Welcome to the Scottish Handwriting resource on the ScotlandsPeople website which offers online tuition in palaeography for historians, genealogists and other researchers who are looking for guidance reading manuscript historical records written in Scotland in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

The emphasis of this resource is on practical help to improve the palaeographical skills, rather than on the academic study of Scottish handwriting. The practical help comprises: posers and tutorials designed to provide several hours' tuition in different aspects of palaeography, using images of original Scottish documents and a coaching manual to help you get started, identify letters and numbers, solve problems and includes links to further resources.

The content in this resource was previously available on the Scottish Handwriting website. Archived versions of the Scottish Handwriting website can be accessed on the National Records of Scotland's web archive.

Palaeography Posers

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Palaeography Posers

 

Keep practicing your palaeography skills regularly by answering one of our posers (arranged by types of record or date).

Problem Solver

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Problem Solver

 

Stumped by a particular word or letter? Try our Problem Solver.