Clan Ramsay

Clan Ramsay is a lowland Scottish Clan originating in the Midlothian District of Scotland.  It is believed that the Ramsay family arrived in Scotland from Huntingdonshire, England where Ramsay was a local place name.  The first recorded use of the surname in Scotland was in 1140 when Simundus de Ramesia witnessed a charter between the church of Livingstone and the monks of Holyrood.   Simundus is considered to be the progenitor of  the clan. As a freeman in England, he followed King David I to Scotland and was able to acquire the lands of Dalhousie in the parish of cockpen.

The clans motto is Ora Et Labora which translates into “Pray and labour”, and the crest features A unicorn’s head.

The historic seat of the clan is Dalhousie Castle located just south of Edinburgh in Cockpen.  The original tower was constructed by Simundus de Ramesie in the 12th century.  The Ramsay’s expanded the castle in the 15th century and again in the 17th.  At the beginning of the 20th century the Ramsay family relocated to Brechin Castle and leased out Dalhousie until 1977 when they finally sold the estate.  Currently it operates as a hotel.  Brechin Castle located in Angus, Scotland was the original seat of Clan Maule dating back to the middle ages.  In the 18th century the Ramsay Clan and the Maule Clan united under one chief and the clan seat was eventually amalgamated at Brechin.

Clan Ramsay International which was formerly know as the Clan Ramsay Association of North America was created in 1978. The clan organization sends out a quarterly newsletter known as the Ramsay Report.  The clan members meet annually at one of the Highland Games in the United States.