Distant Scottish Connections - how to honour it?

[JamieN]

@ Steve:
Have you thought of doing an ancestry test- perhaps with 23 and me? They have updates now that define the ethnicity regions more precisely to specific counties, towns. My UK breakdown of regional Glasgow (#1 on the list), etc.. hotspots were what made dig into my Scottish links and lone and behold- that's where they were from. Granted the tests are only as good as the current science, and you may not of inherited all of the relevant DNA, but given your ancestral link, I think that it could triangulate an area at the very least if your ancestor was Scottish. (Now that I think of it, I wouldn't be surprised if Aberdeen or Fife- other hotspots of mine - was where Keillor my ancestor was from).

@Karl R.
Thanks for the honesty. I will remember that line if someone asks me.

@johnny O.
Now this is an avenue that I haven't thought of. Are you suggesting that I ask the Canadian or Scottish clan society for that family name? Is this common practice in Scotland?

[JohnnyO]

Hi Jamie,
In my case I wrote to The Earl of Caithness, as the Clan Chief of Sinclairs and received a gracious reply thanking me for my request and assuring me I was welcome to wear "his" tartan. In general terms I believe the Lord Lyon has advised that the Clan Chief is the ultimate arbiter of who may wear that tartan. (I'm no authority and will be happy to be corrected on this). In the case of there being no current Chief I'd see if I was able to locate a Clan Society and seek to identify with them.
As far as this being 'usual' practise in Scotland, whilst I dare not profess to represent the views of all Scots, in my experience most kilt wearing Scots I met through the now defunct Scottish Tartans Society were much less legalistic in their approach than pragmatic. They tended to wear the tartans with which they self identified; or quite simply liked the look of.
In over 50 years of kilt wearing I've been asked many questions about my kilt, clan crest badge or tartan. Never yet has any self appointed member of the 'Tartan Police' mentioned that my surname is not Sinclair.

Bring Forrit the Tartan.

[JamieN]

Hi Jamie,
In my case I wrote to The Earl of Caithness, as the Clan Chief of Sinclairs and received a gracious reply thanking me for my request and assuring me I was welcome to wear "his" tartan. In general terms I believe the Lord Lyon has advised that the Clan Chief is the ultimate arbiter of who may wear that tartan. (I'm no authority and will be happy to be corrected on this). In the case of there being no current Chief I'd see if I was able to locate a Clan Society and seek to identify with them.
As far as this being 'usual' practise in Scotland, whilst I dare not profess to represent the views of all Scots, in my experience most kilt wearing Scots I met through the now defunct Scottish Tartans Society were much less legalistic in their approach than pragmatic. They tended to wear the tartans with which they self identified; or quite simply liked the look of.
In over 50 years of kilt wearing I've been asked many questions about my kilt, clan crest badge or tartan. Never yet has any self appointed member of the 'Tartan Police' mentioned that my surname is not Sinclair.

Bring Forrit the Tartan.

Thank you JohnnyO for the info and clarification.