Clan Gathering - 1977

[Chas]

Awesome pictures , Can any clan tent display these flags at there tent ? or are there rules in doing so ? exsample : does the chief have to be present in order to fly these banners ?
Thank you

My understanding is that these banners are the personal property of the Clan Chief as part of his heraldic arms. They do not belong to the "clan", but to the person who has matriculated his arms before the Lyon Court.

David is, of course, quite right. Although it would not be right, at any time, in any place, for a clan to fly one of these standards, there is nothing wrong with them displaying a picture of the standard with a suitable legend underneath - "The standard of XXX MacXXX, chief of the clan MacXXX".

Regards

Chas

[David Thorpe]

Thank you for posting these pics, Chas. Very interesting to see them, especially all together.

[Electrickilt]

Thanks for sharing.

[Mike_Oettle]

Many thanks, Chas, for posting all those images (55 chiefs’ standards plus the royal one). It is good to see this fine piece of work by Don Pottinger, whose style I got to know through the irreplaceable Simple Heraldry (the text of which was by Sir Iain Moncreiffe).
I recall reading somewhere that mediæval Scottish standards always featured azure, a saltire argent at the hoist, to identify the clan army as belonging to Scotland, and that the use of the chief’s arms in that position was a modern innovation. I like to see the chiefly arms there, but the saltire has a very long tradition behind it. I notice also that the MacLaren standard incorporates both the saltire and the chief’s arms.
Has there been any more recent compilation of chiefs’ standards? It would be interesting to see the newer registrations, and whether there have been any changes to the 55 in this collection.
Regards,
Mike

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Just to add to the confusion surrounding standards, that of my Chief, George MacMillan of MacMillan and Knap, follows none of the usual "rules": Or, in the hoist a Lion's head erased sable collared or charged thereon with three mullets azure and on the fly the slogan CNAP in letters sable. So, we have a gold standard displaying the chief's badge and his territorial designation.

[Mike_Oettle]

But is that a standard, Scott, or another style of heraldic flag? I recall seeing a few with the same shape as the standard, but in a different format, and bearing a slogan.
Regards,
Mike

[creagdhubh]

David is, of course, quite right. Although it would not be right, at any time, in any place, for a clan to fly one of these standards, there is nothing wrong with them displaying a picture of the standard with a suitable legend underneath - "The standard of XXX MacXXX, chief of the clan MacXXX".

Regards

Chas

***

Wonderful images, Chas! Thank you for sharing them. It is nice to see that many Clan Chattan clans attended this particular gathering, to include the Macphersons.

Best wishes,

[ThistleDown]

***

Wonderful images, Chas! Thank you for sharing them. It is nice to see that many Clan Chattan clans attended this particular gathering, to include the Macphersons.

Best wishes,

Even more clans were represented, but these are the standards of the chiefs (and one commander) present. The 1977 Gathering was a superb affair with several of the opening events in the Assembly Rooms on George Street. It lacked the commercialism and captive nature of the last one; after the 2009 event many of the chiefs expressed the feeling that they had been removed from their closets and dusted off as part of an operation designed to make money for one enterprise.

In 1977 more events took place on the old lands than took place in Edinburgh, with the chiefs and leading folk of the clans (as different from clan societies) opening their homes and entertaining visitors from all over the world. There has been much talk on this forum (and in Scotland) about the absence of publicity in advance of the last one; that was an Edinburgh-only event in a national Year of Homecoming. The one in 1977 was a Scotland-wide gathering with opening events in Edinburgh.

[creagdhubh]

Even more clans were represented, but these are the standards of the chiefs (and one commander) present. The 1977 Gathering was a superb affair with several of the opening events in the Assembly Rooms on George Street. It lacked the commercialism and captive nature of the last one; after the 2009 event many of the chiefs expressed the feeling that they had been removed from their closets and dusted off as part of an operation designed to make money for one enterprise.

In 1977 more events took place on the old lands than took place in Edinburgh, with the chiefs and leading folk of the clans (as different from clan societies) opening their homes and entertaining visitors from all over the world. There has been much talk on this forum (and in Scotland) about the absence of publicity in advance of the last one; that was an Edinburgh-only event in a national Year of Homecoming. The one in 1977 was a Scotland-wide gathering with opening events in Edinburgh.

***

Thank you for the additional details and information in regards to the 1977 gathering, Rex. It almost sounds like every Clan Macpherson Gathering in Badenoch and at Cluny's castle in Blairgowrie. I wish I could have been around (alive) for the 77' Gathering!

Cheers,

[Grizzly]

***

Wonderful images, Chas! Thank you for sharing them. It is nice to see that many Clan Chattan clans attended this particular gathering, to include the Macphersons.

Best wishes,

Curses!!! No Cameron banner? No doubt we were waylaid by the Chattan Confederation and those meddling MacPhersons.!!!!!!!!