Scottish wills and testaments were usually recorded in the courts which had jurisdiction over the district in which the deceased person had lived. These districts reflect old administrative areas in Scotland.
The Commissary Courts registered wills up to 1823, and thereafter the Sheriff Courts took over this function. However, there is a considerable overlap of dates in some courts, so it is always advisable to check both courts for wills between 1804 and 1829. The number of Sheriff Courts was greater than the Commissary Courts. Go to Research Tools to see how they matched up in area.
If the person you are looking for died abroad the most likely courts to search are Edinburgh and non-Scottish courts. Between 1858 and 1900 the non-Scottish Courts have fuller versions of these wills.
To find out how Scotland's counties matched up to the court boundaries move the mouse over the map for more information.
Aberdeenshire
A county, until 1975, in the north east of Scotland
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Angus
A county, until 1975, in the east of Scotland. Sometimes referred to as Forfarshire or The Mearns
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Argyll
A county, until 1975, in the west of Scotland.
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Ayrshire
A county, until 1975, in the west of Scotland.
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Banffshire
A county, until 1975, in the north east of Scotland
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Berwickshire
A county, until 1975, in the south east of Scotland.
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Buteshire
A county, until 1975, in the west of Scotland.
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Caithness
A county, until 1975, in the north of Scotland.
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Clackmannanshire
A county, until 1975, in central Scotland.
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Dunbartonshire
A county, until 1975, in the west of Scotland.
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Dumfriesshire
A county, until 1975, in the south west of Scotland.
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East Lothian
A county, until 1975, in the east of Scotland. Sometimes referred to as Haddingtonshire.
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Fife
A county, until 1975, in the east of Scotland.
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Inverness-shire
A county, until 1975, in the north of Scotland.
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Kincardineshire
A county, until 1975, in the north east of Scotland
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Kinross-shire
A county, until 1975, in central Scotland.
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Kirkcudbrightshire
A county, until 1975, in the south west of Scotland.
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Lanarkshire
A county, until 1975, in the west of Scotland.
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Midlothian
A county, until 1975, in the east of Scotland. Sometimes referred to as Edinburghshire.
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Morayshire
A county, until 1975, in the north east of Scotland. Sometimes referred to as Elginshire.
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Nairnshire
A county, until 1975, in the north east of Scotland
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Orkney
A county, until 1975, in the north of Scotland.
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Peeblesshire
A county, until 1975, in the south east of Scotland.
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Perthshire
A county, until 1975, in central Scotland.
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Renfrewshire
A county, until 1975, in the west of Scotland.
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Ross and Cromarty
A county, from 1889 until 1975, in the north of Scotland, combined from the previous counties of Ross-shire and Cromartyshire.
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Roxburghshire
A county, until 1975, in the west of Scotland.
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Selkirkshire
A county, until 1975, in the south east of Scotland.
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Shetland
A county, until 1975, in the north of Scotland. Sometimes referred to as Zetland.
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Stirlingshire
A county, until 1975, in central Scotland.
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Sutherland
A county, until 1975, in the north of Scotland.
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West Lothian
A county, until 1975, in the east of Scotland. Sometimes referred to as Linlithgowshire.
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Wigtownshire
A county, until 1975, in the south west of Scotland.
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