Registers of Scotland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Registers of Scotland

Scottish Gaelic: Clàran na h-Alba
Non-ministerial government department overview
Formed	1617 (1617)
Jurisdiction	Scotland
Headquarters	Meadowbank House, 153 London Road, Edinburgh EH8 7AU
Employees	~ 1,300
Minister responsible	Ben Macpherson, Cabinet Secretary for Finance
Non-ministerial government department executive	Jennifer Henderson, Keeper of the Registers of Scotland

Registers of Scotland (RoS) is a special part of the Scottish Government. Its main job is to keep important records about land, property, and other legal papers safe and organized. Think of it like a giant library of official documents for Scotland! They look after 21 different public registers. The person in charge of all these records is called the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland, or just the Keeper.

How Records Began in Scotland

The idea of keeping public records in Scotland is very old. The first person in charge of these records was mentioned way back in 1286. These early records were kept in Edinburgh Castle. Over time, this role became known as the Lord Clerk Register.

However, these early records didn't usually include personal details like births, deaths, or marriages. The church often kept those kinds of records. In 1551, Scottish church leaders decided that all ministers should keep records of baptisms, burials, and marriages.

Later, in 1806, a new role was created called the Deputy Clerk Register. This person took over the day-to-day work of keeping records. In 1854, this role also started looking after birth, death, and marriage records, becoming the "Registrar General."

By 1928, the job of Deputy Clerk Register changed again, becoming the "Keeper of the Registers and Records of Scotland." But it was a huge job for one department. So, in 1948, the records were split into two separate organizations:

• The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland, who looks after property and legal documents.
• The Keeper of the Records of Scotland, who looks after historical public records.

This split helped make sure both types of important information were well looked after.

Recent Changes to Record Keeping

In 2011, two of the record-keeping departments, the General Register Office for Scotland and the National Archives of Scotland, joined together to form the National Records of Scotland (NRS). This new group looks after historical records and personal data like births and deaths.

Registers of Scotland (RoS) stayed as a separate organization. This means RoS focuses on property and land records, while NRS focuses on historical and personal records.

Where Records Are Kept

After being stored in Edinburgh Castle, the records moved to Parliament House, Edinburgh in the late 1600s. Later, a special building called Register House was designed just for them.

Over the years, Registers of Scotland grew too big for Register House. In 1976, they moved to Meadowbank House in Edinburgh. Since 2013, they also have offices in Glasgow.

How Registers of Scotland Works

Registers of Scotland is a non-ministerial government department. This means it's part of the Scottish Government but works independently on its specific tasks.

The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland leads the organization. The Keeper is appointed by the First Minister of Scotland. Their main duty is to manage and maintain all the public registers of legal documents and property deeds.

Registers of Scotland has over 1,200 staff working in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Keeper works with a team of directors who help manage the organization and make important decisions.

The Public Registers

The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland manages 21 different public registers. These registers hold important information about land, property, and other legal matters in Scotland. Here are some of the main ones:

The Land Register of Scotland

This is the modern way of recording land ownership in Scotland. It uses maps to show who owns what land. It's different from older systems because it focuses on who owns the land, not just the legal papers about it.

The Land Register is kept in Edinburgh and you can even view some information online. About 60% of all land titles in Scotland are now on this register. The goal is to move all land titles from the older system to this new one.

The General Register of Sasines

This is the older system for recording land ownership in Scotland. It started way back in 1617! It was one of the most advanced systems in Europe at the time. Instead of maps, it recorded written legal documents (called "deeds") that transferred land.

Over time, new laws changed how this register worked. For example, you no longer needed to do a special ceremony on the land itself to transfer ownership.

Closing the Sasine Register

Since 1979, Scotland has been slowly moving land records from the old Sasine Register to the new Land Register. Each area of Scotland had a "live" date when new land transfers had to go onto the Land Register.

The goal is to close the Sasine Register completely by 2024, moving all land records to the modern Land Register. However, some experts think it might take longer to move everything over.

The Register of Community Interests in Land

This register helps communities in Scotland. It has two parts:

• It lets community groups register their interest in buying land. This gives them a special chance to buy land if it goes up for sale.
• It also allows farmers who rent land to register their interest, so they can buy the land if it's sold.

Register of Applications by Community Bodies to Buy Land

This is a newer register. It records when community groups apply to buy land that is abandoned, neglected, or causing problems.

The Crofting Register

This register is for "crofters" in Scotland. A croft is a small piece of land, usually in the Highlands and Islands, that is farmed by a crofter. This register helps crofters record their interest in their land.

Register of Sites of Special Scientific Interest

This register lists all the special natural areas in Scotland called "Sites of Special Scientific Interest" (SSSIs). These are places that are important for their plants, animals, habitats, rocks, or landforms. The register helps protect these special places. You can search this register for free online.

Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land

This register, launched in 2022, helps make it clear who really controls land and property in Scotland. Sometimes, the actual owner might be a company, but this register shows who is behind that company and makes the decisions. It's free to use and search.

Scottish Landlord Register

This register lists all landlords in Scotland who rent out homes. It's against the law to rent out property without being registered.

Scottish Letting Agent Register

Similar to the landlord register, this one lists all letting agents in Scotland who help rent out homes. It's also against the law to work as a letting agent without being registered.

Register of Inhibitions and Adjudications

This register is about debts. An "inhibition" is like a freeze on someone's property, stopping them from selling it if they owe money. An "adjudication" allows a creditor to sell the debtor's land to get their money back. This register tells people if someone is legally stopped from selling their property.

Registers of Judgments

This register keeps track of court decisions from other countries (like England or countries in the European Union) that have been officially recognized and can be enforced in Scotland.

Register of Deeds and Probative Writs in the Books of Council and Session

This register, started in 1554, is like a public safe for important original documents. People can register their deeds here, and you can get official copies of these documents.

Register of Protests

This register used to record when someone failed to pay a "bill of exchange" (a type of financial promise). However, these bills are not used much anymore, so no new entries have been made for over 10 years.

Register of Entails

This register used to record "entails," which were special rules about how property could be passed down through a family. This system was stopped in 2004, and this register is now closed and kept by the Keeper of the Records for historical purposes.

Register of the Great Seal

This register records important official appointments made by the Crown (the King or Queen) in Scotland. For example, it records who becomes a King's Counsel or other royal positions.

Register of the Quarter Seal

This register records property that goes to the Crown when there are no living heirs to inherit it, or when land is abandoned.

Register of the Cachet Seal

This register lists all "notaries public" in Scotland. Notaries public are people who can officially witness signatures and documents. The Cachet Seal itself is a special silver stamp used for certain Crown property dealings.

Register of Prince's Seal

This register used to record land given out by the "Prince and Great Steward of Scotland," which is a title held by the heir to the Crown (currently Prince William). No new entries have been made in this register since 1887.

Register of Crown Grants

This register contained deeds and agreements about Crown property in Scotland. It was closed in 1974.

Register of Sheriff's Commissions

This register records all the official appointments of people who become "sheriffs" in Scotland. Sheriffs are judges who work in local courts.

Register of Service of Heirs

This register used to record when someone proved they were the legal heir to an estate after someone died without a will. This process was mostly stopped in 1964, but the register still holds records for older cases.

Register of Hornings

This register is now closed. It used to record when someone was declared an "outlaw" for not paying a debt. This was a very old way of dealing with debt in Scotland, where a special horn was blown to announce someone as a rebel. This system was replaced by more modern ways of dealing with debt.