Armigerous Clans

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Hmmm, that's interesting. Two questions, though, to bring it back to modern times.

How is it a clan is formed today under Scottish laws or rules?

Hi Ted,
this is a pretty lengthy process, and it has been dealt with recently by Sketraw on another thread. If I come across it I'll give you the reference.

Under Scottish laws or rules, is an adopted child of a chief not able to become the chief?

If the chief of clan "X" adopted a child, that child would not be able to inherit the chiefship; it would pass to a cousin, brother, or nephew of the chief. In other words it would go to a "blood relative" of the chief, not a "stranger in blood". The adopted child could inherit everything else (except the undifferenced arms of his adopted father), but not the chiefship of the clan.

On the last question, I'm not understanding how a chief would let the clan become chiefless upon his death.

Well, sometimes the vicissitudes of life result in one dying without an immediate heir. Perhaps the brother of a distant ancestor went to Tasmania in 1850 and the families have lost all track of each other. That person's descendant may be the ex-chief's nearest living relative and as such the chief presumptive. But if he doesn't know he's the heir of the chief...