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Thanks Dod I will check those leads out.

I wonder if someone would be able to help me with the a dead end I have come to in my tree.
Alexander McWilliam was an illegitimate child to Elspet 'Elsie' McWilliam and was born in Keith, Banff in 1868.
Alexander lived with his grandmother Elizabeth McWilliam b 1822 Cairnie, Aberdeen and Mother Elspet 'Elsie' McWilliam b Bonharm 1848 until 1881, from here I am unable to locate him, they lived in Maggieknockater, his mum Elspet 'Elsie' McWilliam is a former Domestic Servant and his grandfather Alexander McWilliam is deceased (1840).

On the census for 1871 and 18871 Alexander McWilliam is known as Alexander Grant, therefore, I am assuming his father was named Grant, and he was known by his mother's surname.  I have a copy of the birth and he is listed as illegitimate.

On the 1891 census his mother and grandmother are still living in Maggieknockater and is appears his mother did not marry.

It may be that Alexander moved to Durham and changed his name to Alexander Williams, I have been trying to locate my Alexander Williams b 1868 in Banff for a couple of years now and this is the closest that I have ever getting to locating him.  Therefore, I need to rule out Alexander MCWilliam (Grant) if this is not my relative, or even better find out if this is my gr grandfather who I have been searching for.
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated, I just need either rule him in or out. 
Maybe someone would know if the Grant family from around the Maggieknockater area employed servants? or maybe I can find out where Elspet was working as a Domestic Service around 1867-68 then I could see if she lived with or near a the Grant Family, at the time of her pregnancy with Alexander.

Thank you for replies. Unforunately i dont know the name if his mother and as far as i am aware there is no way of finding that oit until i find a birth record.
I will now move my efforts further north to the sherland islands and see if anything turns up.
His fathers name was John, and all i know is thay he was deceased by1913 when alexander married.

Hi
I am tracing my great grandfather and on the 1901 and 1911 census he resides in South Shields, Durham on the bank of the River Tyne and his birthplace is Banff, Scotland on both entries.

I have been searching for him prior to 1901 for months with no success.  Therefore, as a branch of my research I wonder if anyone is aware of any connections between Banff and South Shields, Durham around the 1890's and if there are any reasons in relation to industry that would be a reason for him to choose to move to South Shields, Durham from Banff.