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Aclan badge, sometimes called aplant badge, is abadge oremblem, usually a sprig of a specific plant, that is used to identify a member of a particularScottish clan.[1] They are usually worn affixed to thebonnet[2] behind theScottish crest badge,[3] or pinned at the shoulder of a lady's tartan sash. According to popular lore clan badges were used by Scottish clans as a means of identification in battle. An authentic example of plants being used in this way (though not by a clan) were the sprigs ofoats used by troops under the command ofMontrose during thesack of Aberdeen. Similar items are known to have been used by military forces in Scotland, like paper, or the "WhiteCockade" (a bunch of white ribbon) of theJacobites.[4]
Despite popular lore, many clan badges attributed to Scottish clans would be completely impractical for use as a means of identification. Many would be unsuitable, even for a modern clan gathering, let alone a raging clan battle. Also, a number of the plants (and flowers) attributed as clan badges are only available during certain times of year. Even though it is maintained that clan badges were used long before theScottish crest badges used today, according to a formerLord Lyon King of Arms the oldest symbols used at gatherings wereheraldic flags such as the banner, standard and pinsel.[5]
There is much confusion as to why some clans have been attributed more than one clan badge. Several 19th century writers variously attributed plants to clans, many times contradicting each other. It has been claimed by one writer that if a clan gained new lands it may have also acquired that district's "badge" and used it along with their own clan badge. It is clear however, that there are several large groups of clans which share badges and also share a historical connection. TheClan Donald group (clansMacdonald,Macdonald of Clanranald,Macdonell of Glengarry,MacDonald of Keppoch) and clans/septs which have been associated with Clan Donald (like certainMacIntyres and theMacqueens of Skye) all havecommon heath attributed as their badge. Another large group is theClan Chattan group (clansMackintosh,Macpherson,Macgillivray,Macqueen,Macbain,Farquharson,Davidson) which have been attributedred whortleberry (sometimes calledcranberry in Scotland), orbearberry, orboxwood. The leaves of these three plants are very similar, and at least one writer has claimed that whatever plant which happened to be available was used. One group, theSiol Alpin group, of clans are said to have claimed or are thought to share a common descent. The Siol Alpin clans (clansGrant,Gregor,MacAulay,Macfie,Macnab,Mackinnon,Macquarrie) are all attributed the clan badge of pine (Scots fir). In some cases, clan badges are derived from the heraldry of clan chiefs. For example, theFarquharsons havepine attributed as a clan badge of theirs (pine also appears on the uniforms of the Invercauld Highlanders). Pine was actually used in the InvercauldArms as a mark of cadencing to the basic Shaw-Mackintosh Arms.[5]
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| Clan name | Plant badge attributed to the clan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur | wild myrtle[6] | |
| fir club moss[6] | ||
| Boyd | Laurel leaves[7] | |
| Brodie | periwinkle[5] | |
| Bruce | rosemary[5] | |
| Buchanan | bilberry (blaeberry)[5] | |
| oak[5] | ||
| birch[5] | ||
| Cameron | crowberry[5] | |
| oak[5] | ||
| Campbell | fir club moss[5] | |
| wild myrtle (orbog myrtle)[4][5] | Though abundant in Argyll, Bog Myrtle drops its leaves in winter.[4] | |
| Chattan | wild whortleberry[5] | |
| Chisholm | fern[5] | |
| Cochrane | sea holly[6] | |
| Colquhoun | hazel[5] | |
| dogberry[8] | ||
| Cumming | common sallow; i.e., thepussy willow[9] | |
| Davidson | boxwood[5] | |
| red whortleberry[5] | ||
| Donnachaidh | bracken,[5] or fern[8] | The Celtic Magazine of 1884 states that this badge (fern), compared to fine leaved heath, is the older badge.[8] |
| fine leaved heath[8] | ||
| Drummond | holly[5] | |
| Wild thyme[8] | ||
| Farquharson | Scots fir[5] | |
| red whortleberry[5] | ||
| foxglove[6] | ||
| Fergusson | little sunflower[6] | |
| Forbes | broom[5] | |
| Fraser | yew[5] | |
| Gordon | ivy[5] | |
| Graham | Laurel | Originally the badge was Spurge Laurel, but as that plant is poisonous and not indigenous to Scotland, James, 8th Duke of Montrose petitioned the Lord Lyon to have the True Laurel (Laurus Nobilis) recognised as the clan plant badge, which petition he was granted.[10] |
| Grant | pine (Scots fir)[5] | |
| Gregor | pine (Scots fir)[5] | |
| Grierson | Scottish bluebell[5] | |
| Gunn | juniper[5] | |
| roseroot[6] | ||
| Hannay | periwinkle[11][failed verification] | |
| Hay | mistletoe[5] | |
| Henderson | cotton grass[5] | |
| Home | broom[5] | |
| Innes | great bulrush[5] | |
| Jardine | apple blossom[5] | |
| Johnstone | red hawthorn[5] | |
| Kennedy | oak[5] | |
| Lamont | crab-apple tree[5] | |
| trefoil[8] | ||
| dryas[6] | ||
| Logan | furze[5] | |
| MacAlister | common heath[5] | |
| MacAulay | pine (Scots fir)[5] | |
| cranberry[5] | ||
| MacBain | boxwood[5] | |
| red whortleberry[5] | ||
| MacDonald | common heath (Scots heather)[5] | |
| Macdonald of Clanranald | common heath[5] | |
| MacDonald of Keppoch | common heath[5] | |
| white heather[5] | ||
| MacDonell of Glengarry | common heath[5] | |
| MacDougall | bell heather[5] | |
| cypress[12] | ||
| MacDuff | boxwood[5] | |
| red whortleberry[5] | ||
| Macfarlane | cranberry[5] | |
| cloudberry[5] | ||
| Macfie | pine (Scots fir)[5] | |
| oak[5] | ||
| crowberry[5] | ||
| MacGillivray | boxwood[5] | |
| red whortleberry[5] | ||
| MacInnes | holly[5] | |
| MacIntyre | common heath[5] | |
| Mackay | great bulrush[5] | |
| heather[6] | ||
| Mackenzie | variegated holly[5] | |
| deer's grass (heath club rush)[5] | Innes of Learney claimed thatheath club rush ('deer's grass') may be confused withclub moss ('staghorn moss'). Club moss has also been attributed to the Macraes, who were the Mackenzie's "shirt of mail". Even if it is a confusion both 'deer's grass' and 'staghorn moss' likely refer tocaberfeidh ("deer's antlers") in the Mackenzie chiefly arms.[5] | |
| Mackinnon | pine (Scots Fir)[5] | |
| St John's wort (St. Columba's flower)[5] | ||
| Mackintosh | red whortleberry[5] | |
| bearberry[5] | ||
| boxwood[8] | ||
| Maclachlan | rowan (mountain ash)[5][13] | |
| lesser periwinkle[13] | ||
| Maclaine of Lochbuie | bilberry (blaeberry)[5] | |
| bramble[5] | ||
| holly[6] | ||
| black berry heath[6] | ||
| MacLaren | laurel[5] | |
| MacLea | The Flower of theGrass of Parnassus.[14] | |
| Maclean | crowberry[5] | |
| holly[8] | ||
| MacLennan | furze[5] | |
| MacLeod | juniper[5] | |
| Macleod of the Lewes | red whortleberry[5] | |
| MacMillan | holly[5] | |
| Macnab | stone bramble[5] | |
| common heath[8] | ||
| Macnaghten | trailing azalea[5] | |
| MacNeil | Dryas (avens)[5] | |
| trefoil[8] | This clan badge may actually be attributed to the McNeills of Gigha, a branch of Clan MacNeil. Trefoil has also been attributed to the Lamonts, another clan in Argyl. The Lamonts and MacNeils/McNeills both claim descent from the sameO'Neill who settled in Scotland in theMiddle Ages. | |
| Macpherson | white heather[5] | |
| boxwood[8] | ||
| red whortleberry[8] | ||
| Macquarrie | pine (Scots fir)[5] | |
| Macqueen | boxwood[5] | |
| red whortleberry[5] | ||
| Macrae | club moss[5] | Club moss sometimes referred to asstaghorn grass, may refer to the Mackenzie chiefly arms, or at least the Macrae's close association with the Mackenzies.[5] |
| Malcolm (MacCallum) | rowan berries[5] | |
| Matheson | broom[5] | |
| holly[5] | ||
| Menzies | Menzies's heath[5] | Probably intended to be blue heath,Phyllodoce caerulea,[15] a very rare member of the heather family, Ericaceae, found on several Scottish mountains. Its scientific name has changed since it was first found more than two centuries ago on the Sow of Atholl,[16] but for much of the 19th century it was calledMenziesia caerulea. Hence the reputed association with Clan Menzies.Menziesia was coined by James Edward Smith in 1793 to honour the Scottish physician and naturalist DrArchibald Menzies (1754- 1842) who was attached to Capt. George Vancouver's circumnavigation, 1790-1795. The original ("type") species wasMenziesia ferruginea, now namedRhododendron menziesii, a native of northwestern North America. No plants are now assigned toMenziesia which has been subsumed intoRhododendron. The name "Menzies's heath" is unknown in botanical literature. |
| ash[12] As mentioned | ||
| Moncreiffe | oak[17] | Oak-leaves appear on a stone carving of the 12thlaird's heraldicmantling of 1634.[17] |
| Morrison | driftwood[5] | |
| Munro | common club moss[5] | |
| Murray | butcher's broom[5] | |
| juniper[5] | ||
| Nicolson | juniper[5] | |
| Ogilvy | whitethorn,[5] hawthorn[6] | |
| evergreen alkanet[8] | ||
| Oliphant | bull rush[8] | |
| Ramsay | blue harebell[18] | |
| Rose | wild rosemary[5] | |
| Ross | juniper[5] | |
| bearberry[5] | The 19th-century historianW. F. Skene listed this clan's badge asuva ursi, which is sometimes known as bearberry.[19] | |
| Seton | yew[5] | |
| Scott | blaeberry[12] | |
| Sinclair | furze (whin)[5] | |
| white clover[5] | ||
| Stewart | oak[5] Thistle | |
| Sutherland | butcher's broom,[12] cotton sedge[5] | |
| Urquhart | wallflower,[5] gillyflower[6] | |
| Wood | Oak[20] | The oak is featured prominently on the shields of all the Woods' coats of arms.[20] |
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