Tuesday 20 December 2016

Living DNA - a new DNA test

An ancestry DNA test like no other, Living DNA can reveal more detail about your ancestral origins than ever before.  The test can be taken by both men and women and provides information on your family ancestry and origins.  Your DNA will be compared to 80 worldwide regions including 21 regions in the British Isles.  The proportion of DNA from each region that has been inherited will be recorded, providing evidence of the origins of your ancestors.

Do I have Scottish DNA?  How much DNA do I have from Ireland? 
Previously only a Y-DNA test, used for surname research could specifically link a male to a region or area within the British Isles at a point in time.  As women don't have a Y-chromosome they could not even take that particular test.  Living DNA's new test overcomes this hurdle by analysing a different type of DNA.  Based on data derived from the People of the British Isles Project and supplementary research your bio-geographical origins within the British Isles will be explored using DNA inherited from both your parents.

The Living DNA test - 3 tests in 1
The test will also show your mother-line ancestry and, if you are a male, your father-line ancestry as well.  DNA from the mother-line is inherited by children, both male or female from their mother. However it can only be passed to the next generation by a mother not a father.  Therefore mitochondrial DNA can be used to track the ancestral origins of the direct mother-line back into history.  Similarly, the Y-chromosome is passed by a father to his sons, who pass it to their sons.  It therefore can be used to trace the ancestral origins of the direct father-line.

No subscription
Unlike some competitors, there is no subscription to access your results and your lifetime ancestry membership means that as Living DNA research is refined, your results will be updated with more detail at no further charge.  Living DNA will put your results into context, allowing you to explore your ancestry at different points in history.

You can order your Living DNA test through this link ORDER MY LIVING DNA TEST (or click on the image below).

Friday 29 January 2016

New map viewer compares Scottish land use in 1930s with today

The National Library of Scotland's new Land Use Viewer is a very handy utility which uses a split screen map viewer to compare 1930s land use with 2015 land use.

The viewer is a collaboration with Historic Environment Scotland, and allows 1930s Land Utilisation Survey maps to be compared to the 2015 Historic Land Use Assessment Layer (HLA).


The HLA layer has been deliberately coloured to closely match the six main categories of the 1930s Land Utilisation Survey and shows striking changes in Scotland's land use during the 20th century, including afforestation and expanding urban areas.

Checking the area near where I live the development of housing is very obvious with significant loss of farming land. The Land Use Viewer can be accessed through this link - http://maps.nls.uk/projects/landuse/

Alasdair email: alasdair@yourscottishancestry.com Professional Genealogy Research Service