Records of every burial in Moray dating back nearly 200 years are about to be transferred to computer.
The mammoth task – which could take up to a year to complete – will involve recording the details contained in 182 historic ledgers. Heather Greig, who works at Elgin Registration Office, said: “There are about 35,000 pages which need to be put on to computer.
“However, once everything is done it will certainly make things easier and quicker for people who are trying to trace where their ancestors are buried.
“We get quite a number of visitors from America and Australia trying to trace their Moray roots and visit gravesides. Elgin alone has five cemeteries, so if people are unsure about where or when their relatives were buried, it can take a while to trace them.”
Mrs Greig currently records details in the same ledgers once used by her great-grandfather, George McLay.
Her ancestor worked at the town’s clerk office in Lossiemouth from 1911 to 1930. She said: “It came as a complete surprise when I saw his name in the books and realised the connection. He was doing the same job as me over a century ago.
“Sometimes it makes you wonder if your fate is written.”
The £45,000 contract to transfer the records has been awarded by Moray Council to a company in Hove, England. The books will be taken away in batches. However, as they are working documents, arrangements are being made so that the information they contain can still be accessed.
A council spokesman said: “Digitising such a large volume of information will be a big task, but it will ensure the survival of these irreplaceable records which are an important part of Moray’s heritage.”