Clan Craig

Clan Craig is a highland Scottish Clan originally located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  The surname Craig is derived from the Gaelic term creag which means “rocky hill”.   John of the Craig is the first of the Craig family mentioned on record when he led a band of 300 men into the Battle of Culblean in 1335.  John of Craig was considered the Laird of the Craig of Auchindoir.  William Craig of Craigfintray, who was born in the 15th century is the oldest known chief of the clan.

The clan motto is Vive Deo et vives which means “Live for God and you will have life”, and the crest features A chevalier on horseback, holding a bent and broken lance.

The original historic seat of the Craig’s was Craigfintray Castle located in Kildrummie. The castle was built in the 14th century and was occupied by the Craig Clan until the 17th century.  Thomas Craig relocated the Clan to Riccarton Estates outside of

Edinburgh, in 1605.  Riccarton  Estate was first mentioned in the Ragman’s Roll in 1296 belonging to Mariorie de Richardstone.  The estate passed through several hands until 1605 when it was sold to Thomas Craig.  The estate was expanded by Thomas’s family.   In 1831 it passed to James Gibson who then took on the name James Gibson-Craig.  The estate passed to the Sudlow family through the female line after the remaining male members of the Gibson-Craig family were killed in the Boer War and World War One. The estate was seized by the army in 1939.  It is now part of the Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus.

The last chief of Clan Craig was Thomas Craig of Riccarton who died in 1823 leaving no male heirs.  The  clan is considered armigerous, meaning it does not currently have a chief.