How to Search
Entering a Search Term
The search box for the site can be found in the top right corner on each page. The site is designed to retrieve information based on place name searches. When a search term is entered into the search box, the website will compare the search term with entries in the gazetteer. If the search term is found multiple times the user will be provided with a listing at which point they will be prompted to choose which place they intended. If they place that they intended does not appear in this list, the user can choose to conduct a "free text search" on the search term entered. This process clarifies and refines the search in order to retrieve the most relevant results from the participating organizations. If the user enters a term that is not found in the gazetteer, the terms will be used to conduct a "free text search" on the databases of the participation organizations. The search box is capable of searches based on one place at a time.
Entering Coordinates
A search may be made on the site by means of coordinates. Coordinates may be entered into the search box and can be entered as either:
National Grid Reference (NGR),
Decimal Degrees (DD),
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds (DMS), or,
Easting/Northings.
The site search box accepts the follow formats:
Decimal Degrees
55.950197N, 3.187558W
55.950197, -3.187558
Degrees, Minutes, Seconds
55 57 00.71N, 3 11 15.21W
55 57 00.17, -3 11 15.21
NGRs
NT250750
NT 250 750
NT 250750
Eastings/Northings
325000, 675000
Map Searching
Users may know the area of Scotland that they would like to search, however do not know the name of this area. The county map on the front page of the site allows users to conduct a search based on the county name from the listing or area from the map.
Clicking the map then takes the user to a results page for that county. If the user wishes to continue a map-based search, they can click on the static county map shown on the county results page.
This takes the user to a page which shows the parish boundaries for that particular county. Again the user may click on a parish name from the list or they may click the map. Either way, they are taken to a results page for the particular parish chosen.
If the user wishes to continue with a map-based search they may click on the static parish map shown on the parish results page. The user is then taken to an interactive map-based service which allows them to conduct a coordinate search by clicking on the map and choosing an extent.
Coordinate Generation Map
The user can also get to this dynamic map from the front page of the site, called "Map Search" which opens to the extent of Scotland. Before the user is able to conduct this search, they will need to select an extent from the dropdown list in order to provide the system with a bounding box by which to conduct the search. This interactive dynamic map allows the user to zoom in and out of Scotland and pan around.
Browsing the Site
The browse page provides the user with a hyperlinked alphabet in which they make select a letter. By selecting a letter from the alphabet the user will be given a listing of the place names held within the gazetteer that begin with that letter. This listing will also include variant/alias names for a place. The user can then either click on this hyperlinked place-name or enter this name into the search box to conduct a search.
Video Help
Using the Map Interfaces
Using the Search Box and Browse Functionality
Using the Related Volumes in ScotlandsPlaces