hi
thanks for reply
just phone my friend - she's got her mums birth certificate somewhere -she's 'digging it out' born 22 july 1911, her grand mother was 25(ish) when her mother born so c1886
Confirms that both her mother and gran weren't married, her mother was 'taken in' by another family (Hugh Mclean) and she herself was born out of wedlock
I've traced my own english history and there's no end of sites to look around and was confident that i would be able to find her mum/grandmum/other members as easy - but when i try tracing scots i've come to an abrupt halt - can even find my friend on any databases i've looked at!!