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The Scottish Clan System - Our Guide

Crests

 

Clans Section

Contents

What is a clan?

Who can be a member of a clan?

Septs

The search for a clan chief

Crests

Tartans

Border clans

Chiefs

Heads of large branches of a Clan, who have been Officially Recognised as Chiefs by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, may wear:

either their own personal Crest within a plain circlet inscribed with the Motto, as for a Chief, but with two small eagles’ feathers instead of the Chiefs three. If the Chieftain is also a Peer, he may add the appropriate coronet of rank on top of the circlet,

or they may wear their Chiefs Crest badge without feather like any other clansman, as described for clansmen below.

 

Armigers

A person who has registered his or her own coat of Arms and Crest, or inherited these according to the Laws of Arms in Scotland from an ancestor who had recorded them in the Lyon Register, may wear their own Crest as a badge:

either on its Wreath, Crest Coronet or Chapeau, or, as is more usual, within a plain circlet inscribed with his Motto. An armiger may also choose to wear instead the Crest badge of his Chief if the armiger is a clansman. An armiger is entitled to one silver eagle’s feather behind the plain circlet, and if he is also a Peer he may add his appropriate coronet of rank on top of the circlet.

 

Clansmen and clanswomen

These are the Chiefs relatives, including his own immediate family and even his eldest son, and all members of the extended family called the “Clan”, whether bearing the Clan surname or that of one of its septs; that is all those who profess allegiance to that Chief and wish to demonstrate their association with the Clan.

 

It is correct for these people to wear their Chiefs Crest encircled with a strap and buckle bearing their Chief s Motto or Slogan. The strap and buckle is the sign of the clansman, and he demonstrates his membership of his Chiefs Clan by wearing his Chiefs Crest within it.

 

For examples of Douglas crests, see here>>>