The aim of this pamphlet is to provide a Scottish sourcebook for the period 1600-1850 which identifies the range of maritime sources available and where relevant information both published and manuscript can be located within Scotland. The author breaks down the broad range of maritime records into the following seven categories: Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, Fishing, Whaling and Smuggling, Privateers and Pirates, The Slave Trade, and Court Records (including the High Court of Admiralty of Scotland, and the Court of Session). In each case, he provides an historical introduction to a particular record classification, as it impinges on the availability of the records in question. Mr. Dobson then goes on to itemize the key manuscript collections, the repositories where they may be found, and a number of books and articles which promise to shed additional light on each of the record groups.
