The latest digital records release from ScotlandsPlaces (www.scotlandplaces.gov.uk) is the series of 218 volumes of window tax registers from the 18th century, implemented in 1747 in Scotland as a tax to help pay for foreign wars. Not everyone was liable - your property initially had to have ten windows for you to be taxed, later reduced to seven. If you were taxed though, it was a right pane - sorry, pain (oh come on!).
For more on the release see www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/node/1028749. Further Ordnance Survey books have also been released for Roxburghshire (1858-1860), Ross and Cromarty (1848-1852), Lanarkshire (1858-1861) and Argyll (1868-1878).
(With thanks to Tim Ellis at the NRS, @timgov)
UPDATE: The BBC also has the story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-23356213 which notes that there will be a free accompanying exhibition called Window on the Past at General Register House, Edinburgh, from July 29th to August 23rd.
Chris
My new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, is now available from Pen and Sword. My Scottish land and church records ebooks are available at http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html, whilst my next Pharos Scottish course, Scottish Research Online, starts Sep 4th - see http://pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Time to smash a few brick walls...!
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