EAST Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure hopes to encourage residents to get hands on with heritage, history and ancestry.

Throughout September, October and November, history classes will be held in Netherlee, Giffnock and Eaglesham.

And with guided walks and talk sessions led by local historian Dr Stuart Nisbet (pictured) and tutor Susan Hunter, those taking part can learn about how the area has developed over the last 300 years.

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Leading BBC genealogist Lorna Kinnaird will also be leading two sessions on researching your roots, with Family History for Beginners one-day courses.

Amanda Robb, of East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, said: “We have experienced tutors with a wealth of knowledge set to share their expertise with participants at these courses, whether you’re looking to trace the origins of the local area or your own family tree.

“We are also running courses at libraries across East Renfrewshire, with Introduction to Ancestry classes lined up in Newton Mearns, Clarkston, Giffnock and Barrhead Libraries, and Discovering Maps sessions scheduled for Giffnock Library.”

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The first of the Hands-On Heritage sessions is Discovering Netherlee: Origins of a village on Monday, August 26.

This three-part course consists of a guided walk with Dr Stuart Nisbet (pictured) starting at Netherlee Pavillion followed by two classes where you will find out about the development of Netherlee over the last 300 years.

Places are limited and can be booked by calling the box office on 0141 577 4956.