Grant Clan Crest
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CREST: A burning hill Proper MOTTO: Stand Fast TRANSLATION: N/A VARIATIONS: N/A |
| The Scottish clan Grant has a rich and fascinating history that spans centuries of Scottish politics, warfare, and culture. The Grants were originally of Norman or French descent, and they first appear in public documents in England soon after the Norman Conquest. However, the family’s real prominence in history came when they arrived in Scotland and became firmly established as a Highland clan.
In the middle of the thirteenth century, the Grants acquired lands in Stratherrick through the marriage of one of the family with Mary, daughter of Sir John Bisset. The family became supporters of Bruce in the competition for the Scottish crown, and two members of the clan were taken prisoner at the Battle of Dunbar in 1296. Around this time, the family acquired the lands at Glenmoriston and Glen Urquhart, which they still hold. |
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| The victory of Robert the Bruce confirmed the Grants in their holdings in Strathspey, and the rich lands of the Spey valley provided the Grants with men and cattle, key to power in the Highlands. Grant power was further consolidated when Sir John Grant married Maud, heiress of Glencairnie, a branch of the ancient princely dynasty of Strathearn. In 1493, the lands were erected into the free barony of Freuchie, and in 1536, Sir James Grant built a castle, called at one time Castle Freuchie, but renamed at the end of the seventeenth century as Castle Grant.
The Grants became staunch adherents of the Reformation, and they declared for the National Covenant in 1638. After the Battle of Inverlochy in 1645, they joined the Marquess of Montrose and remained faithful to the royal cause. After the Restoration, the Laird of Grant was to have been rewarded with an earldom, but he died before the patent had been sealed. The Grants endeavored to secure their territories by alliances with other clans, and they were particularly associated with the Macgregors. The Grants embarked upon an ambitious scheme to modernize their lands, even building a completely new town, Grantown-on-Spey, establishing mills and factories there. When, in 1811, Sir Lewis Grant of Grant inherited the Ogilvie earldoms of Seafield and Findlater, the chiefs gained a seat in the House of Lords. But the fifth Earl of Seafield and twenty-seventh chief of Clan Grant fell into a serious dispute with his brothers, which resulted in the Grant estates being disentailed. Throughout the clan’s history, they have remained fiercely loyal to their family and their lands, earning a reputation as a proud and strong-willed people. Today, the Grants are still one of Scotland’s most prominent clans, with many members scattered throughout the world. The Clan Grant motto, “Craig Elachie” or “The rock of alarm,” reflects their steadfastness and their determination to stand fast in the face of adversity. Their arms, featuring three antique crowns, and their crest, a burning hill, are powerful symbols of their history and their strength. |
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