Clan Lamont ruled almost all of the Cowal peninsula in Argyll for centuries. Their standing was however damaged by the Dunoon Massacre in 1646, when the rival Campbells killed 200 Lamont clansmen. After this many Lamonts moved to the Scottish Lowlands.
First of all to explain why there are so many tartans, way over 2000 in fact. There are an awful lot of Scottish clans to start with and on top of this each clan can have many different tartans and names associated with it.
Over the last 300 years, tartans have been a part of official dress for some of the most famous regiments throughout the military world! Their respective regimental tartans became undisputedly tied to the very core identity of the soldiers who wear it. Explore the associated regiments below:
Each tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress
About tartan variations
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans, mossy greens and sky blues, a more orangey red and some would say showing off the pattern to much greater effect as as the contrasts are much brighter than the Modern tartans. The pattern or sett remains the same across all variations of a single tartan, and only the shades or tones vary.
Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans. Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
The Modern tartans are often the more subtle combinations such as the classic Black Watch Modern
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer, more earthy colours typical of the Weathered tartans, reminiscent of bolder colours subjected to wind, rain and sunshine producing beautiful faded tones, olive greens and browns, and very light blues with reds that are more pink than red.
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
The Hunting Tartans are the camouflage tartans and some clans don't have these variations because they are already predominantly green or brown and don't need amendment to blend in with nature's colours. The Black Watch or Gunn tartans are examples of these, whereas a tartan such as the Fraser is predominantly red and would not provide much cover for men out hunting.
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
The Dress Tartans were designed as the name suggests for celebrations and highland dance. The sett or pattern of the tartan remains the same and the main colour is changed to white, or extra white is added to the pattern to give it a brighter, more "fancy" appearance. The Scots do like to bend the rules and occasionally instead of white thread, yellow is used and this is where the rather wild MacLeod Dress Modern and Barclay Dress Modern came from.
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
Clan Lamont is thought to have royal blood! It is commonly believed that the family descended from the mighty O’Neil princes of Ulster, who made the long journey over from Ireland up Loch Fyne to claim the lands of Cowal.
The earliest recorded proof of the Lamont’s presence in Cowal dates to the early 13th century, when a man named Laumanus granted lands at Kilmun and the church of Kilfinan to the Monks of Paisley. These grants were confirmed in 1270 and 1295 by Malcolm, Laumanus’ son, showcasing the clan’s continued power and influence over the territory.
It is clear that this status endured for centuries, as in 1456 John Lamond was named the Baillie of Cowal, an officer responsible for administrating local law.
Unfortunately, later in the 1400s, the family’s direct line of chiefs faltered, threatening to weaken the clan, but luckily the Lamonts were much too resourceful to let that happen!
Instead, they took it as an opportunity to expand their lands, passing official representation of the clan over to the Lamonts of Inveryne, who quickly established strong clan seats in the impressive Castles of Toward and Ascog.
The current Clan Chief is Father Peter Lamont, a Parish Priest in Australia. He took up the position as a teenager in 1972 and continues to represent Lamont interests across the world today!
Peter’s profession is extremely fitting, as the Clan has aligned itself with Catholicism at numerous points throughout its illustrious history.
Perhaps most famously, during the English Civil War the Lamonts fought for the Catholic King Charles I against his Puritan opposers.
While parish duties keep Fr Peter very busy, he has made time to connect with his ancestral homeland. He visited Scotland in 2006 and laid a wreath at the Lamont Clan Memorial at Dunoon, where the former Chief, his Great-Great-Grandfather, was born.
The Lamont name hints at their fascinating heritage.
It is thought to have originated with the Old Norse word ‘Logmaor,’ meaning ‘law man’ or ‘law giver,’ suggesting that the family always held great power and authority! Their Norse ancestry then merged with a Gaelic influence to create the name ‘Ladhman,’ which eventually became ‘Lamont.’
The plant badge is a sacred symbol for clan members, as it is worn to signify loyalty and belonging.
In medieval society, men would attach a sprig of their clan’s plant to their cap, while women would fasten foliage to their sashes at the shoulder.
The Lamont’s plant badge is the crab apple, a very fitting choice for this gallant and resilient clan, as it traditionally represents love, healing, and immortality!
The Clan Lamont Society has been thriving for over 100 years!
It was founded by Sir James Lamont XIV of Knockdow in 1895, and now boasts nearly 1000 members from all over the world.
They work to ‘revive, conserve, and promote the interests, sentiment, and associations of the clan’ and foster social interactions between Lamonts across the globe.
The society are based in Inverchaolain, off the shores of Loch Striven, and have curated a ‘Lamont Room’ filled with clan memorabilia and archival material, which members are welcome to browse.
If you are lucky enough to have Lamont blood and want to support the society’s great work, look into signing up on their website here: https://www.clanlamontsociety.org.uk/membership
The second oldest Clan Lamont Society in the world, which was formed in 1982, is The Clan Lamont Society of North America (CLSNA).
CLSNA work 'to reunite the Lamont families of Scotland, study and teach Lamont history and preserve Scottish traditions and customs'.
Find out more here: https://clsna.us/
The original Toward Castle was built in the 15th Century by the Lamont family and is the historic seat of Clan Lamont. The Lamonts held the Castle until 1809, but since then the lands have been owned by a few different families including the Finlays and the Coats of Paisley.
When the Lamonts held the land they had to abandon the castle due to an attack from Clan Campbell, in which hundreds of Lamonts were massacred by Campbell men.
The present castle that stands today sits about 500 metres away from where the original castle was built, the present castle was designed by David Hamilton for Kirkman Finlay.
It is commonly believed that Clan Lamont descended from the great O’Neill princes of Tyrone, who themselves have a fittingly valiant origin story!
The old tale goes that, long ago, various noble men agreed to compete to win ownership of Ireland. The challenge was to brave the murky depths of the sea and swim to shore, with the first man to touch ground being crowned winner. O’Neill was among this group and determined to triumph, but he started to struggle as he battled with the ferocious waves. He realised that he would not be able to outswim his competitors but refused to give up.
Instead, he wordlessly cut off his own left hand and threw it onto the beach, becoming the first to technically touch land and therefore winning Ireland and a royal title as his prize! This bravery, resourcefulness, and grit clearly endured in the Lamont’s blood, as the clan continued to live up to their progenitor’s bravery in the following centuries.
Wearing or displaying the clan crest is one of the main ways to proclaim dedication to your family.
The Lamont crest is described as ‘a dexter hand couped at the wrist, Proper,’ meaning it shows an open-palmed, raised hand in the centre of a belt, which is emblazoned with the clan motto ‘Ne Parcas Nec Spernas.’
This striking design represents strength and unity, reminding Lamonts of their heritage and their duty to one another.
Clan Lamont have been strongly linked with the scenic Loch Striven ever since they first set up home in the Cowal Peninsula. Loch Striven is a sea loch which extends off the Firth of Clyde and meanders through large expanses of traditional Lamont territory.
While the family sadly lost the majority of their land in Cowal following the brutal and shocking Dunoon massacre, the modern-day Clan Lamont Society have reclaimed their ancestral ground, creating a base, or effectively a Clan Seat, in Inverchaolain, on the stunning East Shores of Loch Striven. Every year at the society’s Annual Lamont Clan Gathering, members gather to take a peaceful moment by the water and honour their valiant clan forebears.
However, Loch Striven is not only the site of long and winding clan history, it also played a fascinating role in WWII, which may be hard to believe given how peaceful it is today!
In the 1940s, more than 200 prototype Highball bombs were tested at the Loch, though they were ultimately never used. In 2017, divers managed to recover one from the waters, thereby attaining a priceless military relic.
While the Highballs were never actually used in combat, it is archive footage of the Highballs being tested at Loch Striven which can be seen in the 1955 film, The Dam Busters.
While many more remain in the depths of Striven, please don’t let it put you off visiting, as none ever contained any explosives!
Image credit: Loch Striven by Chris Newman
Clan Lamont’s motto is ‘Ne Parcas Nec Spernas,’ or ‘Neither Spare Nor Spurn.’
This means that you should not ‘spare’ or go easy on your enemy, but you also shouldn’t ‘spurn’ or be unnecessarily barbaric or cruel.
This reflects the Lamont family’s great strength, not only as warriors, but perhaps more notably as moral and noble clansmen.
Clan Lamont suffered deeply in one of the most notorious battles in clan history.
The Lamonts had an uneasy relationship with the neighbouring Clan Campbell for decades, with tensions always bubbling under the surface and threatening to erupt. In 1646, things finally came to a head when the Campbells invaded the Lamont’s land, capturing numerous clansmen and besieging the Castles of Toward and Ascog. Sir James Lamont, the Clan Chief, is said to have ‘reached honourable terms’ with the Campbells and agreed to surrender the castles in order to save the lives of his people.
Unfortunately, however, Clan Campbell betrayed their word and quickly captured James, throwing him in the dungeon at Dunstaffnage, where he was held in appalling conditions for 5 years. The Campbells then massacred more the 200 Lamont men, women, and children, and ruined their forfeited castles.
This was a brazen insult to the clan codes of gallantry and honour, and the Campbells did eventually have to suffer some consequences for their treachery, when the event was brought up at the Marquess of Argyll’s trial for treason in 1661. His reputation as a Highland Chief was severely damaged, and the Lamont’s dignity and strength in the face of such horrendous circumstances were solidified.
Image credit: Dunstaffnage Castle by Gunther Tschuch
One of the family’s heirlooms is now a Scottish treasure which is proudly displayed in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
The Lamont Harp in one of the oldest remaining examples of Scotland’s earliest musical instrument. Built in the 15th century, it is a stunning example of medieval craftmanship and the clan’s creativity!
Image credit: Goldbunny 88
Clan Lamont have always been fiercely moral and committed to following an honourable code of conduct. One of the most famous stories of the family’s past illustrates this gallantry perfectly.
Around 1600, the sons of the Lamont Chief and the MacGregor Chief ventured into the countryside to go hunting together, enjoying a companionable afternoon, until a sudden fight broke out between them. It is not known what the subject or cause of the disagreement was, but it was clearly deeply heated, and Lamont fatally injured MacGregor in a moment of rage.
He quickly came to his senses and, horrified at what he had done, fled the scene, wildly roaming the nearby lands until he came across a place to take shelter. The castle he had found, however, happened to belong to the MacGregor Clan Chief, whose son he had just murdered. Even after realising what the young man had done, the Chief offered him lodging and protection against the furious and vengeful MacGregor clansmen, before eventually helping him to return to his own territory.
Years later, the Lamonts managed to repay the favour when the weak and wounded MacGregor of Glenstrae showed up at Castle Toward, fleeing the Campbells, who had driven him from his lands. The Lamonts remembered the noble act performed by Clan MacGregor all that time ago, so welcomed the man into their home, allowing him to stay for several years. When he died, he was even honoured with a burial on Lamont land!
Clan Lamont’s tartan features a range of earthy colours, including green, grey, black, and brown.
Here at ScotlandShop we stock four main variations: Ancient, Modern, Weathered, and Muted.
Each offers a different design and tone, making it easy for you to find one that you like!
Owning your own family tartan is a great way to connect with your clan ancestors and current clan kin, and we have plenty of products to choose from.
Perhaps you have a special occasion coming up and could do with a stylish pair of cufflinks? Or if you pride yourself on your creativity, why not treat yourself to a cutting of 100% wool fabric, or a roll of gorgeous tartan ribbon, and fashion your own, unique Lamont items!
There are four Clan Lamont tartans to choose from - vote in our poll to let us know your favourite(s)!
Join us as we get to know a few of the family’s most distinguished members, we’re sure you’ll be as impressed by their achievements as we have been!
Come along with us to explore the magnificent Scottish countryside and discover the grand buildings your ancestors once called home, as well as the stories, legends, and secrets they hold within their walls!
Learn about the clan’s name origin, a treasured family heirloom, their motto and more.
This month we are delving into all things Clan Lamont!
Join John and Carrie as they explore the clan’s origins, grand castles and a famous astronomer.
How much do you think you know about Clan Lamont? Enough to get all 12 questions correct? Test your Lamont Clan Knowledge now!
We called upon the valued Clan members to share their Lamont stories and we had a fantastic response; read the blog to find out more!
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As part of our Clan of the Month celebrations, we produce different mobile phone wallpapers so you can celebrate your Lamont heritage every time you pick up a call.
Clan Motto: Ne Parcus Nec Spernas (Neither Spare Nor Spurn)
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