Scottish Royalty...or Close Enough

As Mrs. Whitt and I prepare for our trip to Scotland, I decided to do a little research into my family history. I knew the name Alexander had strong ties to Scotland, but I was curious to see if any of my ancestors were of Scottish descent. Luckily I have a friend who does historical research and digs through archives daily for his job. He jumped at the opportunity to help me dig a little deeper into my family's history. Using Ancestory.com and other research sites, he was able to trace my father's family all the way back to Scotland in the 1500s! To see the journey of the Alexanders from Scotland, to Virginia, to North Carolina, and eventually to Alabama was so fascinating to me.

I won't bore you with the details of who my ancestors are, but it has peaked my curiosity and I continue to dig a little deeper to see what I can learn about my people. I've learned I come from the Clan Menzies and plan to visit "my castle" if time permits on our trip. Castle Menzies is unique in the fact that it's in a Z-shape. I was able to find lots of information about Castle Menzies and it's history on their website. Interesting fact- Bonnie Prince Charlie stopped and rested here on his way to Culloden in 1746. I will be able to do more genealogical research at the site of the Battle of Culloden as well as the Scottish Genealogy Society Family History Centre in Edinburgh.

Each clan has their own tartan pattern. Clans have different patterns for different events (hunting, mourning, full dress, etc.). Here is Clan Menzies' full dress tartan. Finding some kind of item with my clan's tartan is also on my list of things to do. #TeamNoSleep

I was already so excited for this trip, but to be "going home" and walking the lands that my ancestors walked makes this trip so much more meaningful for me. If you haven't already, I highly encourage you to do a little research and see what you can learn about your family's

history. You never know what you may find out- you just might be royalty.