• What is a clan?
• Who is a member of a clan?
• The search for clan chiefs
• Crests
• Tartans
• Searching the Public Register

Tartans

There are no strict rules on who has the right to wear a particular tartan. People normally wear only the tartan (if any) of their surname, or a "district tartan" connected with where they live or where their family come from.

Wearing a particular clan tartan indicates that the wearer bears an allegiance to the chief of that clan. A tartan which uses the name of a clan may only do so if the chief of that clan has given his approval to the particular design.

There is no official register of tartan. Records of designs are maintained by the Scottish Tartans Authority, Fraser House, 25 Commissioner Street, Crieff, Perthshire, PH7 3A Y.

The Lord Lyon has no jurisdiction over tartan but if a clan chief wishes, the Lord Lyon will record details of specific clan tartan in the Lyon Records.

Reference may be made to the following books available in many public libraries:

• "Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands" by Frank Adam, ed. Sir Thomas Innes of Leamey (8th edition, Chapters XIll, XV, XVI, and List of Septs, pp. 554-570, Johnston and Bacon, 1970).
• "The Highland Clans" by Sir lain Moncreiffe of that ilk (Barrie & Rockliff, 1967).
• "Scottish Clan & family Encyclopedia" by George Way of Plean and Romilly Squire (Harper Collins, 1994).

'Hunting Stewart'