ScotlandsPeople Hub opens at Inverness
The eagerly-awaited access to ScotlandsPeople Hub for the public to search the birth, death and marriage records unassisted has finally come on-stream in Inverness. The recent addition to the services provided at the Highland Archive and Registration Centre, Bught Road, Inverness also provides access on-line to valuation rolls with the facility to search by street, wills and testaments and Catholic records for all of Scotland.
It means that Highland residents no longer need to travel to the central belt to access this service. Inverness is one of only three locations outwith New Register House in Edinburgh, where the public can have direct access to ScotlandsPeople Hub. The other locations are The Mitchell Library, Glasgow, and The Burns Centre, Kilmarnock.
Four computer terminals have been provided in the Family History Centre at the Highland Archive and Registration Centre. Three terminals are bookable in advance and one is available for drop-in visitors.
Opening hours are Monday – Friday between 10 am – 4.30 pm. Places can be booked in advance by contacting Inverness Registration Office on 01463 256400 or by emailing: inverness.registrars@highland.gov.uk.
The fee is £15 per day or part of a day.
Users can print historic images for 50 pence each which includes Census Returns (1841-1911); Old Parish Records up to December 1854 as well as births (1855-1913), marriages (1855-1938) and deaths (1855 – 1963). Modern records are also available for the appropriate statutoryfee.
Diane Minty, The Highland Council’s Chief Registrar, is delighted that the service is now up and running.
She said: “This is a very welcome addition to the wide range of services provided at the Highland Archive and Registration Centre. We already operate a Family History Centre here, which enabled us to provide the new ScotlandsPeople Hub with the kind permission of The Register General. The service will avoid long journeys to the central belt for those Highland folk who wish to view the digitised records . It should prove a very popular service and we are delighted that those who were on the waiting list are finally able to continue with researching locally.”