HISTORIANS ARE set to breathe new life into the business of death at a special event near Forfar.

Angus Archives’ staff are turning the spotlight on the departed using some of its records which stretch back hundreds of years.

The facility, based at Restenneth Library, is holding a drop-in day to give a glimpse of sources of information about people who once lived in the county.

It comes at a time of growing global interest in the archives’ material by people keen to trace their Angus ancestry.

Among the documents being dusted down for the event, on Thursday of next week, are an 18th century Brechin Cathedral burial register, graveyard plans and old parish burial records.

The earliest of the parish documents kept at Restenneth date back to 1583, with some records for areas across Angus surviving better than others.

Staff will also pass on advice on what the symbols on old gravestones mean.

A spokeswoman said yesterday, “We have had a lot of interest from people keen to trace where an ancestor might be buried, looking for clues about their family. People from all over the world come to the archives.”

The collection is also widely used by local-history groups and teachers preparing material for the school curriculum.