Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical StudiesKen Your Kin!

Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies (SIGS) is thrilled to launch Ken Your Kin, an exciting new event being held in Glasgow, Scotland from the 4th to the 11th of June 2025.

Whether you’re a seasoned genealogist or just beginning your journey into Scottish family history, the Ken Your Kin summer school will both celebrate and bring Scottish ancestry and heritage to life!

Our 7-day programme includes - 

  • Hear talks from Scottish historians, museum curators and family history experts
  • Further your genealogy journey with one-to-one input from qualified genealogists
  • Experience Scottish food, drink and traditions
  • Visit a range of museums, cultural and literary venues
  • Enjoy a vibrant social programme
  • Ideal for groups or the solo traveller
  • Join an optional 2-day ‘Introduction to Scottish Family History’ course. Find out more!

Before arriving in Glasgow, participants will gain access to a secure online portal where they can connect with fellow delegates and the SIGS team. The portal will also feature top tips, valuable resources and updates from the organising team. 

The Ken Your Kin experience will provide opportunities for participants to ask questions, engage in discussions, and benefit from one-to-one genealogy research input from qualified genealogists.

Participants will also enjoy daily opportunities to immerse themselves in Scottish culture and history by exploring a range of iconic venues, such as The Tenement House and the National Museum of Rural Life

Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure group access to venues and to enable the SIGS team to deliver a high-quality experience.

Please note, Sunday the 8th of June is a free day to give participants the opportunity to relax or explore the city. 

We look forward to sharing our Scottish culture and history and meeting new friends!

Explore the Ken Your Kin Programme below   

Pricing

  • Full price: £1000
  • Deposit: £200 (available until 31st March). Note that balance of payment is due by 31st January for Early bird price, or 30th April for Full price.
  • Single day tickets may be available closer to the event at a price of £150/day (does not include the final dinner which must be booked separately).
  • Non-KYK (or single day KYK) participant Final Dinner price (can take up to 25 bookings) - £80

Not included 

  • Airfare and on-ground transportation to accommodation.
  • Accommodation
  • Breakfast / some meals (see itinerary)
  • Insurance (travel or medical) 
  • Transport to Edinburgh on 9th June

 Please visit our online shop to reserve your place. 

Cancellation policy

Cancellation policy: bookings cancelled before 15/02/2025 will receive a 80% refund.
Cancellations received between 15/02/2025 and 31/03/2025 will receive a 60% refund.
Cancellations received between 01/04/2025 and 30/04/2025 will receive a 40% refund.
Cancellations received from 01/05/2025 up to 31/05/2025 will receive a 20% refund (no refunds will be issued beyond this date).

In the unlikely event that the University must cancel Ken Your Kin due to insufficient registrations, full refunds will be provided.

 

We’ll kick off with an introduction to the week and those involved. An overview of Scottish history from the viewpoint of how events affected every-day folk and the role of the church in Scottish life will be provided. A taste of Scotland will be provided with a talk on food and drink across the ages (some samples will be shared).

Then we’ll visit Glasgow’s St Mungo’s Cathedral, built in the 1200s, for a guided tour. Participants are also encouraged to visit Provand’s Lordship, built in 1471 and/or the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, both of which are steps from the Cathedral.

The day will finish with a civic reception at Glasgow’s historic City Chambers building.

Morning

  • Welcome / overview (Tahitia McCabe)
  • Historical overview of periods covered (Professor Richard Finlay)
  • Role of church and religion in daily life (Professor Richard Finlay)
  • Using and finding church records (Alison Spring)

Lunch - provided

Afternoon

  • What would your ancestors have eaten? Scottish food and drink through the ages. (Dr Madeleine Campbell-Jewett)
  • Visit to Glasgow Cathedral 

Evening

Speakers

  • Tahitia McCabe, Head of Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies.
  • Professor Richard Finlay of the University of Strathclyde, expert in modern Scottish history. 
  • Alison Spring, genealogist, author and speaker.
  • Dr Madeleine Campbell-Jewett, historical re-enactor specialising in food history.

Scotland’s rural occupations and environment will be explored today. We’ll learn what life was like in rural Scotland whether as a farmer, fisherman or other type of worker. Tips on how to search for your rural ancestors will be shared. Finally, we’ll have an introduction to clans and families and how genetic genealogy (DNA) testing can help reveal any links to these groups.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit the National Museums Scotland’s National Museum of Rural Life which has a working farm and farmhouse and a museum providing an insight into the people, tools and ways of working which shaped Scotland’s rural heritage.

Morning

  • A history of Scotland's rural environment, economy and life (Dr Craig Thomas)
  • How to research your rural ancestors (Lorna Kinnaird) 
  • Clans/families & DNA (Alasdair Macdonald)

 Lunch - provided by participants

 Afternoon

Speakers

  • Dr Craig Thomas, assistant archivist, Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust
  • Lorna Kinnaird, genealogist, speaker and tutor
  • Alasdair Macdonald, genetic genealogist and researcher from the Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies

What was it like to live in a Scottish city as the country quickly urbanised during the 18th and 19th centuries? We’ll explore urban life, occupations and guilds and trades groups and find out how to identify and learn more about their members and other urban ancestors.

Lunch will be provided and we’ll enjoy an afternoon tea at the tea rooms operated by the National Trust for Scotland in the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed Willow Tea Rooms building. Afterwards, we’ll go back in time and visit the Tenement House, a window-in-time to life in early 20th century Glasgow.

Morning

  • Scotland's urban environment and economy. What was it like to live in urban Scotland? (Dr John Young)
  • The importance of Scottish guilds and trades (Craig Bryce)
  • Researching urban ancestors (Alison Spring)

 Lunch - Afternoon tea at Mackintosh at the Willow

Afternoon

Speaker

  • Craig Bryce, Honorary Archivist, Trades House of Glasgow
  • Dr John Young, Fellow of the Royal History Society. Senior Lecturer, University of Strathclyde
  • Alison Spring, genealogist, author and speaker

How to find and identify migrant ancestors will be explained, and we’ll explore the history of migration in and out of Scotland. Then Scotland’s dress and textile industry will be considered. What was it like to work in this industry and what types of goods were created? An expert in the Scottish textile industry will explore this with us.

Lunch will be provided and then we’ll travel by coach to New Lanark. This World Heritage Site is an 18th century cotton spinning mill village sitting alongside the picturesque River Clyde. We’ll have a tour and talk and will learn about the life of the weavers and their families as well as having some time to explore the visitor attractions.

Morning

  • Researching migrant ancestors (Kate Keter)
  • Migration to and from Scotland - historical overview (Professor Tanja Beultmann)
  • Textile industry and dress in Scotland (Dr Lin Gardner)

Lunch - provided

Afternoon

Speakers

  • Kate Keter, professional genealogist and tutor at the University of Strathclyde.
  • Professor Tanja Beultmann of the University of Strathclyde, specialising in migration history. 
  • Dr Lin Gardner of the University of Glasgow, historian interested in textile design and the development of sewing machines. 

We’ll meet at the ScotlandsPeople Centre in Edinburgh where each student will have access to an unlimited number of their records and indexes. Genealogy experts will be on hand for general guidance and one-to-one 30 minute research sessions.

In the afternoon, there will be an optional visit to the National Museum of Scotland with Dr John Young who will give a guided tour of several of their galleries.

(Individual travel by train to Edinburgh). 

 

Scotland’s heavy industry heritage will be our main focus today. The industrial revolution meant that Scotland was a powerhouse of engineering and manufacturing with important ship and locomotive building businesses and a wide range of other goods being created and exported. Many were also involved in mining of various minerals and we’ll find out what life was like for the men and women working in these fields (and how to find out about them). We’ll also consider how people (and goods) moved around within and beyond Scotland.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit Fairfield Heritage, a community museum which tells the story of shipbuilding in Glasgow and then walk across the Clyde to visit the Riverside Museum. This features a re-created ‘Main Street’ showing shops from the 1890s-1930s, trams and locomotives you can climb into, a conveyor belt of ships and a wall of cars!

Morning

  • Transportation history and the experience of moving around Scotland (Tahitia McCabe)
  • Coalmining in Scotland: what was life like for miners and their families? (Dr Kay Williams)
  • Researching transportation and ancestors involved in heavy industry. (Kate Keter)

 Lunch - provided by participants

 Afternoon

Speakers

  • Tahitia McCabe, Head of Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies. 
  • Dr Kay Williams, retired historical geographer and mining housing historian. 
  • Kate Keter, professional genealogist and tutor at the University of Strathclyde. 

How did the Scots enjoy and educate themselves? A history of education in Scotland and the records that can be used to find scholars and teachers will be covered. Then we’ll have some playtime with a consideration of the types of sports and entertainment people enjoy. 

In the afternoon, there will be a choice between a visit to the National Piping Centre for a 'try the bagpipes' workshop or a tour of the Clydeside Distillery to learn how single malt is made and to try a few drams.

We’ll have a spectacular final night dinner at the historic Trades Hall in Glasgow’s Merchant City. Non-Ken Your Kin participants can attend the dinner for an extra fee.

Morning

  • Let's get educated! A talk on Scottish education and useful records. (Dr Calista Williams)
  • A history of Scottish entertainment featuring music hall songs and a bit of a sing-along. (Judith Bowers)
  • Scottish sport through the ages - from football to golf to shinty and much more! (Richard McBrearty)

 Lunch - provided by participants

 Afternoon

  • Visit to the National Piping Centre including a 'try the bagpipes' workshop. Guests will be welcomed by a Scottish bagpiper and given a tour of The Museum of Piping. Enjoy a full demonstration of the bagpipes from the Bagpiper Host, along with an opportunity to learn, play and have fun with this challenging instrument. 

  • Or take a tour of the Clydeside Distillery to learn how single malt is made and try a few drams.

Evening

 Speakers

  • Judith Bowers, author, local historian and campaigner for the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall Trust
  • Richard McBrearty, curator at the Scottish Football Museum, PhD student at the University of Stirling
  • Dr Calista Williams, Course Director at the Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies

Travel to Glasgow

Travelling to the University and car parking (note Ken Your Kin is being held in the Graham Hills Building). 

Venue

Address of conference venue: Graham Hills Building, 40 George Street, Glasgow G1 1QE.

 

Visiting Glasgow? Information what’s on and visitor attractions

 

Accommodation

Did you know? The university is conveniently located near ScotRail stations and the Glasgow Underground, making it easy to explore accommodation options beyond the city centre for greater flexibility.

Hotels near the University of Strathclyde.       

Babbity Bowsters     

Fraser Suites

Z Hotel

AC by Marriott

Carlton George

Native Glasgow

Premier Suites George Square

Mercure Hotel

Ibis Styles George Square

Revolver

Holiday Inn

The Social Hub

 

Travelling to the UK

ETAs will be mandatory for travel to the UK and are being introduced in several stages for different nationalities, over the next few months.

The following link is the best overview, where visitors can find official information and apply: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta  

Another helpful link, which details key deadlines for groups of visitors (by country), is as follows: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-get-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

Each individual visitor is responsible for ensuring they have their own correct authorisation to enter the UK. As such, we are not able to provide any individual advice, but would encourage you to direct queries to the official links above, which also include the option for visitors to web chat with the appropriate authority.