PROPERTY RECORDS
TAXES scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
ScotlandsPlaces provides free access to 17th and 18th century tax records, as held at the National Records of Scotland. Original document images and transcriptions are available for dog tax records, window tax, hearth tax, farm horse tax and more. Various other resources are also freely accessible on the site.
RETOURS books.google.co.uk
Before 1868 Scottish land could not be bequeathed in a will. Instead, a separate ‘services of heirs’ process existed, by which a jury had to confirm an apparent heir’s identity prior to inheritance. Early judgements ( called ‘retours’) from 1544-1699 are freely indexed on Google Books at
bit.ly/ Retours1, bit.ly/ Retours2, and bit.ly/ Retours3.