Scottish clan chief

"Scottish Chieftain" redirects here. For the racehorse, see Scottish Chieftain (horse).

A depiction of the Clan Forbes clan chief illustrated by R. R. McIan, from James Logan's The Clans of the Scottish Highlands, 1845
Chapeau of a Scots Baron
The chapeau (or cap of maintenance) represents Scot barons in historical heraldry instead of a coronet
The Ancient Nobility of the
Baronage of Scotland
Baronial Rank of Nobility[1]
  • Baron (1st degree) 90% are barons
  • Lord (2nd degree) very rare
  • Earl (3rd degree) very rare
  • Marquis (4th degree) only 1
  • Duke (5th degree) only 1
Titled nobles in the Baronage
Topics
Convention of the Three Estates

The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children.[2] In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (ceannard cinnidh) is the representative of this founder, and represents the clan. In the Scottish clan system, a chief is greater than a chieftain (ceann-cinnidh), a designation applied to heads of branches of a clan.[3] Scottish clans that no longer have a clan chief are referred to as armigerous clans.

  1. ^ Ruling of the Court of the Lord Lyon (26 February 1943, Vol. IV, page 26): "With regard to the words 'untitled nobility' employed in certain recent birthbrieves in relation to the (Minor) Baronage of Scotland, Finds and Declares that the (Minor) Barons of Scotland are, and have been both in this nobiliary Court and in the Court of Session recognised as a 'titled nobility' and that the estait of the Baronage (i.e. Barones Minores) are of the ancient Feudal Nobility of Scotland".
  2. ^ Mark (2003), p. 458.
  3. ^ Adam; Innes of Learney (1970), pp. 154–155.