As a professional genealogist in Scotland I offer the following services:
The Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1854 introduced compulsory registration. Research from the beginning of 1855 onwards is generally successful, assuming the individuals were registered in Scotland. The example birth, marriage and death certificates shown on my website will outline the typical quality of information provided in these sources.
Prior to 1855 there was no requirement to register a birth, marraige or death. For this reason pre 1855 research can be more difficult and sometimes fruitless.
There are some good sources prior to 1855 which help identify families. There were census returns taken in 1841 and 1851. The 1841 census provides limited information on individuals. However, the 1851 census return provides the name, relationship to the head of the household, age, occupation and birthplace of each person listed.
National census returns were taken every ten years from 1841. The 1901 census is the most recent open to the public under the 100 year privacy rule. They all have similar information to the 1851 census. Census returns are a good source for locating family groups.
Contact me by email for advice or an estimate for help with your research.