Trace your
Roots.
Discover your Story.

Genealogy Research Scotland. Uncover the people, places and records that shaped your family history.

Researching Roots

At The Tree & Thistle, we help you trace your family history through careful, record-based genealogy research. Based near Perth, Scotland, our small team researches family histories across Scotland, England and the wider UK, uncovering the names, places, records and stories that shaped your family’s past.

We love tracing the intricate threads of history, carefully exploring family records and historical sources to bring together the people, places and stories woven through your ancestry.

Whether you are starting with only a name, a place, a family story or an unfinished family tree, we can help you take the next step.

We offer carefully tailored genealogy research, shaped around what you would like to discover — from focused questions and individual family lines to larger projects that bring your family story together in a beautifully presented keepsake to be treasured for generations.

Genealogy & Family History

Hi, I’m Karen, founder of The Tree & Thistle. My background is in research-led work, with over 30 years’ experience tracing people, checking details, following connections and building accurate profiles from evidence.

That experience now sits at the heart of my genealogy work. Family history research requires many of the same skills: patience, curiosity, attention to detail, and the ability to follow a trail through names, dates, places and records.

Based near Perth, I have a strong interest in Scottish history, local places, old maps, parish records, archive material and the stories hidden behind family names. I also research family trees across England and the wider UK, as many family stories move across borders over time.

"The Tree & Thistle brings together my love of history, records, places and people"

Where research leads beyond online records, living in the heart of Scotland, I'm blessed to be able to visit relevant parishes, churchyards, local libraries, castles, ancestral villages, historic properties and places connected to a family’s story, helping to add context, photographs and a stronger sense of place to the research.

At The Tree & Thistle, my aim is to offer careful, ethical and record-based research, helping clients uncover the people, places and stories behind their family history. I’m supported by a small but mighty team of research assistants who bring the same curiosity, care and enthusiasm to every family story we help trace.

Alongside my research background, I am also undertaking formal genealogy training to strengthen my knowledge of family history sources, research methods and record interpretation.

About Me

For smaller or clearly defined enquiries, research can be undertaken at our hourly rate. For broader projects, we can agree a fixed project fee and create a more substantial family history to be preserved as a gift or lasting family keepsake.

This may include beautifully designed family-history keepsakes for display — such as canvas family trees, ancestral maps, timelines and other personalised heritage pieces — together with historical records, photographs and reports exploring the lives and occupations of your ancestors. These can be brought together in a unique Ancestral Chronicle, created to preserve and celebrate your family’s story for generations to come.

Our aim is to provide professional, evidence-based research into your lineage while retaining a warm and personal approach to the people and stories at the heart of your family history. Wherever possible, we will shape the research around an agreed budget and explain clearly what may realistically be achieved before any work begins.

Every family history begins in a different place.

You may be starting with little more than a name, an approximate date or a family story. You may already have an extensive family tree and need help with one difficult branch. Or perhaps you would like to bring together years of family information into something clear, accurate and properly sourced.

At The Tree & Thistle, every genealogy project is shaped around what you would most like to discover. There are no rigid packages and no one-size-fits-all promises. Each project is tailored to your starting information, your research question, your available budget and the finished result you would like to receive.

You are welcome to book a complimentary 15-minute Discovery Call to talk through what you already know and what you would most like to find out.

Before the call, we will ask you to provide a few details about your family and your research question. This allows us some preparation time and helps us understand your starting point so that the conversation can be as useful as possible.

During the call, we can discuss your family history question or project idea, learn more about the information and records you already hold, explain what research may be possible and suggest the most suitable path forward to help you achieve your goals.

Please note: The complimentary Discovery Call does not include research, record look-ups or detailed findings. It is our first opportunity to learn about your wishes for your family history project and discuss how The Tree & Thistle may be able to help.

Genealogy Research Services

Book Your Free DISCOVERY call

Schedule a 15-minute zoom call with a member of our team to discuss your needs and explore how we can help you achieve your family history goals.

Carefully Researched - Clearly Evidenced - Personally Tailored

Would You Like to Discuss the Possibilities?

RESEARCH FEES

Genealogy research is charged at £40 per hour. For larger or clearly defined projects, a fixed quotation can be agreed in advance based on the scope of the research and your available budget.

What We Do

What would you like to discover?

Discover Their Lives & Historical Records

Go beyond names and dates to learn more about where your ancestors lived, how they earned a living and the circumstances that shaped their lives.

Research may include:

Wills and testaments
Property and valuation records
Military service
Newspapers and family announcements
Burials and cemeteries
Poor law and workhouse records
Electoral registers and directories
Historical maps
Migration, occupations and local history

We can also search for individual records, investigate an old address or property, transcribe historical handwriting and help interpret documents you already hold.

These sources can transform a basic family tree into a much clearer picture of your family over time.

Investigate an Ancestor or Family Member

Focus the research on a particular person, family line or question that has proved difficult to resolve.

We can investigate questions such as:

Who were your ancestor’s parents?
Where were they born?
Why can they not be found in a census?
Did they marry more than once?
What happened to their children?
Are two people with similar names the same person?
Is a relationship shown on an online tree correct?
Is there evidence behind a family story?

Where a definite answer cannot be reached, you will receive an honest explanation of what was searched, what the evidence suggests and what further research may still be possible.

Build or Extend Your Family Tree

Begin with yourself, a parent, grandparent or another person of your choice and trace your family backwards through the surviving records.

Research may uncover:

Parents and earlier generations
Births, baptisms, marriages and deaths
Brothers, sisters and wider family relationships
Census households
Family homes and addresses
Occupations and working lives
Movements between towns, parishes and counties

We can also review an existing family tree, verify relationships, correct mistaken identities and add reliable sources.

Our priority is not simply to produce the largest possible tree, but to build one that is accurate, carefully researched and supported by evidence.

Book Your Free 15-Minute Discovery Call

Ready to uncover your family’s history? Book a complimentary 15-minute video consultation to discuss what you would most like to discover, share what you already know and explore how The Tree & Thistle can help trace your ancestry across Scotland and the wider UK.

Capturing the Journey

Family Trees

Archival Documents

Heirloom Books

Every family has a story. We help you find the records that bring it to life.

Trace your Roots. Discover your Story.

Researching Roots

Genealogy & Family History

About Me

Genealogy Research Services

Book Your Free DISCOVERY call

What We Do

Discover Their Lives & Historical Records

Wills and testaments

Property and valuation records

Military service

Newspapers and family announcements

Burials and cemeteries

Poor law and workhouse records

Electoral registers and directories

Historical maps

Migration, occupations and local history

We can also search for individual records, investigate an old address or property, transcribe historical handwriting and help interpret documents you already hold. These sources can transform a basic family tree into a much clearer picture of your family over time.

Investigate an Ancestor or Family Member

Focus the research on a particular person, family line or question that has proved difficult to resolve.

We can investigate questions such as:

Who were your ancestor’s parents?

Where were they born?

Why can they not be found in a census?

Did they marry more than once?

What happened to their children?

Are two people with similar names the same person?

Is a relationship shown on an online tree correct?

Is there evidence behind a family story?

Where a definite answer cannot be reached, you will receive an honest explanation of what was searched, what the evidence suggests and what further research may still be possible.

Build or Extend Your Family Tree

Begin with yourself, a parent, grandparent or another person of your choice and trace your family backwards through the surviving records.

Research may uncover:

Parents and earlier generations

Births, baptisms, marriages and deaths

Brothers, sisters and wider family relationships

Census households

Family homes and addresses

Occupations and working lives