Sources of help

Suggestions from Girlguiding Scotland to help your Big Name Hunt:

  • Local Tourist Boards: literature and websites.
  • Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow have published trails which you can use to start your research.
  • Aberdeen has put up plaques to women and these can be found on the Council website.
  • The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women is a key resource and can be borrowed from the library. This contains references to some memorials which can be entered on the database.
  • If you need funding to help you with your activities, look at the Cashback for Communities scheme on the GGS website. You may be eligible for a programme grant to help with costs, etc. You can apply for up to £2,000 for equipment, travel, promotional material, etc.
  • Glasgow Women's Library has a unique collection relating to women's lives, and extensive experience of uncovering the hidden histories of Scotland's women.
  • RCAHMS in Edinburgh holds the National Monuments Record of Scotland. Could your unit arrange a visit and ask them for help?
  • ScotlandsPlaces provides online access to RCAHMS and National Archives of Scotland sources. It includes photographs, maps and histories of buildings and our built environment, and online information on statues and memorials.
  • Suffrage in Scotland Educational Resource (SISTER): The SISTER website provides a comprehensive list of contemporary and later sources for the study of the Scottish campaign for votes for women, c1870 to 1920.
  • The Scottish Archive Network: Online catalogue to holdings of 50 Scottish archival repositories. It describes what they have and will also have archivists' contact details for most of the local archive services throughout Scotland.
  • Scran is a charity & online learning resource base with over 360,000 images and media from museums, galleries, archives and the media. See your library for free access.
  • The National Archives ARCHON Directory: The contact details for all archives in the UK can be accessed here.
  • Historic Scotland will arrange free visits to some properties. See the website for more information.