Hi Glen Being of Aberdonian descent I'm pretty mean! I do my UK visits by Canadian with a stopover in Toronto to see my daughter) at no extra cost plus London - Edinburgh was included last time. Perhaps you can get a stopover at London or Edinburgh on your Amsterdam trip - may be best on the way back. Cheapest uk travel is by bus (from Victoria). Having once worked for British Rail I like the train (5 hours to Edinburgh) but the cost can be high unless you pre-book overseas. Even then.... Scottish research is best done at New Register House in Edinburgh. Everything is there. I did find some interesting material at the Public Library and also at the Aberdeenshire Genealogy Society in Aberdeen but all my real results were in Edinburgh. I think you'd need several days to a week in Aberdeen before you'd achieve what takes one day in Edinburgh. Having said all that, if you can do without the feeling of personal success and the pleasure of a visit, a researcher is ultimately cheaper! Even in Edinburgh you ought to spend some time and enjoy your stay. There are no motels. Stay in a Bed and Breakfast or a Youth Hostel. Bruntsfield area is recommended for both. Jim McArthur