Clan, Heritage & Heraldry: An Interview with Ross M. McEwen

Thank you for joining us Ross, let’s start at the start, where in Scotland was it that you grew up and are you still there today?

Not at all it is my pleasure. Thank you to ScotlandShop for featuring Clan MacEwen this month and for all the work you do for promoting Scottish culture here and abroad!

I was born in the Scottish Highland Capital of Inverness in 1988, my parents and I lived in nearby Culloden for the first few years of my life until we then moved into the McEwen family home in the ‘Crown’ area of Inverness, a beautiful Victorian area in the centre of the town which was previously farmland owned by the Chief of Fraser of Lovat and the supposed location of Macbeth’s Castle!

Our family had moved to Inverness in the 1950s from Orkney, and before that you will have found us in the Campsie area of Stirlingshire, which is still a hotpot of McEwens to this day!

I dotted about Scotland for College and University in my teens and after a few years of working in London in my late 20s I now live in the bonny county (Kingdom) of Fife overlooking the Firth of Forth with my wife Victoria, our Sheltie Sigurd, and cat / Sherriff, Gustaf…but my heart will always be in the Highlands!

Have you celebrated your clan heritage from a young age?

I am very happy to say as a family we have embraced our Clan heritage for at least five generations. I had a very happy childhood which involved a great deal of learning about Scotland’s complex and fascinating history, the enchanting and vital role Clans played in that story, and the pride we should all carry in being the present-day inheritors of that heritage. The MacEwen Clan crest would hang in our home and certainly sticks out as a childhood image for me, MacEwen tartan was always to be found, whether it was the large MacEwen tartan picnic blankets we used when out and about or whenever we went to family weddings I always remember my father’s MacEwen Ancient kilt being brought out for the occasion (and desperately wanting one of my own!).

Our specific family line were / are known as the ‘An Darach’ line of McEwens, a junior line of the ‘McEwens of Blackhouse’, who were a farming family in Stirlingshire which interacted with numerous other McEwen family lines in that part of Scotland, it is quite a genealogical patchwork! I feel incredibly lucky and privileged that Clan culture formed such a large part of my upbringing and my identity as a Highlander and as a Scot, and I certainly encourage introducing this topic to children from a young age in a fun and accessible way.

What does being a member of the MacEwen Clan mean to you?

A great deal I am happy to say, especially growing up in the Highlands, however as I have gotten older it has morphed from being a story of personal identity and pride, to one of being proud to be part of a large global family, people all around the world who share either the name, or the heritage. The vast majority of Clan engagement nowadays is undoubtedly from overseas, North America and Australia / New Zealand, and so for those of us who were born, raised and have lived here our entire lives, it is often very humbling when you witness and experience the immense excitement and pride Clan members from overseas, as it helps ignite a pride and connection we have with that heritage and what it can mean in the modern day.

Clans are NOT just a dusty relic belonging to a long-forgotten time, on the contrary we are likely now experiencing the busiest and most active period in Clan culture, and I firmly believe Clan members from Scotland have a duty to guide and help those from overseas explore their heritage, the story of Scotland (which is far from a simple one!) and do our best to introduce Scotland to them and not to let the Clan story here in Scotland become neglected or lost.

Clans are NOT just a dusty relic belonging to a long-forgotten time, on the contrary we are likely now experiencing the busiest and most active period in Clan culture, and I firmly believe Clan members from Scotland have a duty to guide and help those from overseas explore their heritage, the story of Scotland (which is far from a simple one!) and do our best to introduce Scotland to them and not to let the Clan story here in Scotland become neglected or lost.

How did you first get involved with the Clan MacEwen Society?

Quite by accident, which is somewhat ironic all things considered!

I was forwarded a news article by a friend, spookily enough I was wearing a Clan MacEwen Ancient Tartan pocket square that day at work, and the article was about the upcoming gathering taking place in Argyll that year and mention of the Clan’s quest to re-establish its chiefship. I had always known MacEwen’s Chiefship expired in the 1400s however I had no idea such vacancies could in fact be filled, and that the Chiefship of Scottish Clans was an area of legal interest with its own Court of Law in Scotland.

My family and I attended the gathering that year in Argyll and it was a spectacular event and thoroughly enjoyable. However out of 120 or so attendees, I counted only 14 Scots, the rest were from Canada, the United States, Australia, Europe, even Hawaii, and were all dressed head to toe in tartan and really brought such excitement and passion to the weekend. I was still in Law School at this time however I knew I had a skillset and a growing contact list and a passion which could assist the Society as well as my knowledge of Scotland generally. A few months later I was co-opted onto the Leadership Committee as Vice-Chair and have been voted in by the membership of the Society to that position in subsequent years.

What does the role of Vice Chair involve?

That’s a very good question! At times it feels like it involves a slice of just about ‘everything!’, however that is the price of progress as the Clan and Society has experience such an explosion of popularity and growth over recent years and all of us in the Leadership work extremely hard to cover all the bases as they appear.

Primarily my role is to support and advance the work of the Clan and Society, this can involve everything from answering simple questions from Clan members about Scotland, liaising with our officers around the world, writing speeches, communicating with Clans and organisations at every level, connecting with as many in the Clan community around the globe, interacting with the Royal Household and serving as one of the principal points of contact for anything and everything related to ‘MacEwen’. I administer our Executive Committee meeting series which is a bi-monthly meeting involving our entire global leadership, draft commissions and warrants which come from the Commander of the Clan and given my governance and legal background I am the lead officer on the matter of the re-establishing of the Chiefship of MacEwen which in Scotland is a matter of law.

In addition, I represent the Clan at a large number of events here and abroad and seek to establish as much cross learning and sharing of good practice as is possible to ensure that everyone in the Clan space can benefit and enjoy their interaction with Clans, and in turn – hopefully that does the culture as a whole some good.

MacEwen are quite unique in the Clan space as we have just one Society which covers the entire world rather than separate individual Societies for specific geographical areas. While this means the remit of the organisation is quite vast, it does also mean we have the ability to move as one, debate and discuss matters in real time, and create a uniformity at events around the world to ensure we are progressing and pushing the same message and able to welcome people in hopefully a warm and thoroughly Scottish way.

What is the most rewarding aspect of working with the Clan Society?

The interaction with others. Again, for those of us born and raised here – we can (and I would say, often do) grow a ‘wee bit’ complacent about just how valuable, wonderful, and special this aspect of our culture is. Speaking and interacting with others really brings that alive and reminds me just how fortunate I and other Scots are to call this wonderful country ‘home’.

Also, the fact that Clans are not only historically relevant phenomena, but they are also current, live, thriving and becoming an evermore important element of Scotland today. Clans around Scotland and beyond invest in scholarship programmes, education, conservation, land use, as well as tourism and hospitality, there is such a wide spectrum of work underway by Clans throughout the world.

For us in the Clan MacEwen Society leadership, it takes up a lot of our time, it is not just a weekend activity or just dressing up and yelling ‘Och Aye!’ every now and then. It is a daily commitment and one where we each invest a lot of personal finance to make work, no one takes a salary or even expenses most of the time, however the return for that is seeing people either discover their heritage, or seeing Scots feel a pride in this area of our culture which they may not have felt before. We all have very understanding spouses and families!

The events we hold around the world are also such a rewarding moment, and makes the endless nights of paperwork, meetings, long hours and brainstorming all worth it. There is a huge amount of work which goes into Clan Societies from people from every walk of life, it is a global family, and its all moving in a positive direction

Do you have a favourite story of fun fact to share about the history of the Clan?

Clan MacEwen is somewhat unique amongst the main names of Scotland as things had sort of fallen apart from us quite early on. The lands of Otter in Argyll were held by our last Chief, Sweene MacEwen, until some point in the 15th century, after which the lands came under the ownership of the Campbells. A few years ago, I was successful in negotiations with the estate of the Duke of Argyll, the Chief of Campbell, who very kindly arranged for a series of documents which were held in his archive to be photographed. As it turns out, one of the documents dated from the year 1432, to our great shock and surprise, was the actual document which detailed the transfer of the lands of Otter from MacEwen to the Campbells. To see this velum document, written in Latin, beautifully photographed representing the oldest physical item so far found relating to our Clan, was a great thrill.

The exact circumstances of WHY the lands of Otter were transferred to Campbell, remains a mystery however it goes to show in Scotland that you just never know what may be lurking out there in an archive or in a box, in our case it was a near 600-year old document which we now have professionally photographed so it can be studied, and shared and form part of the Clan MacEwen story from now on.

I remain very grateful to the Duke of Argyll and his staff who were wonderful to work with.

The other note I would add….is spelling, there are over 95 accepted spellings of MacEwen (with more being added all the time!) which just goes to show how the name evolved in writing as it travelled throughout the world and was interpreted by so many people in so many places, despite the name of our clan being Clan MacEwen, by far the most popular spelling in Scotland, at least since the year 1855 has been McEwan, but…each to their own, it’s all one giant family!

Modern or Ancient, which of the Clan Tartan Variations do you prefer?

For me it simply has to be Ancient MacEwen Tartan. While we have some vintage Modern MacEwen tartan rugs and items in the house, it is the Ancient MacEwen tartan which my family has worn for generations, and we are fortunate to have photographs going back to the 1950s of my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all wearing MacEwen Ancient Tartan.

It is commonplace in the Highlands for young men to get their first proper kilt when they turn 21 years old, and so when my time came there was only one choice for me, MacEwen Ancient. My father received his MacEwen Ancient kilt at 21 years old, and I was so proud to follow in that tradition, it remains my #1 kilt to wear at events here in Scotland and I have a spare for overseas travel.

When my wife Victoria and I were married at Edinburgh Castle in 2021, my mother presented Victoria with a newly woven Ancient MacEwen tartan shawl as a ‘welcome’ to the Clan, it was a beautiful moment and one of my favourites from the day.

Of course, it makes no real difference which of the main tartans you wear, so any MacEwen's reading this are free to choose, however for my family it is and always will be, MacEwen Ancient, it is a beautiful tartan and has been a mainstay in our family for many years, and thankfully…I think it’s an affa bonny one!

In addition to being a board member of the Clan MacEwen Society, you are also a Committee Member & Trustee for the Heraldry Society of Scotland. Can you tell us a bit more about how the society originated and how you first got involved?

Indeed, I am, and proud to be so, The Heraldry Society of Scotland was founded in 1977 to promote the art and science of heraldry, which has been regulated in Scots Law for over 350 years. The President of the Society is the Rt Hon. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Chief Herald of Scotland and a role which dates back to at least the year 1308.

One of the largest and loudest myths in the Scottish clan space is that there is such a thing as a ‘family coat of arms’, this is not at all the case and sadly many people are sold lies and false products by merchants who should, and probably do, know better. Coats of Arms are the earliest form of intellectual property and belong to a single person, or a single organisation, in all instances. Coats of Arms and Heraldry is still regulated and protected in law in Scotland, which has helped keep its integrity largely intact and means we can all promote a single united vision of this wonderful cultural phenomenon and be proud of it.

The Society publishes a great deal of literature, research, and news, it has a global membership and has been responsible for many outstanding events and moments in Scotland over the last several years, such as the Festival of Heraldry which took place in December 2022 at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, a wonderful explosion of colour and symbolism in our nation’s capital.

My introduction to many of these expressions of art and culture has all being through the lens of Scottish Clans, and Heraldry is no different, while Heraldry does not dictate what Clans do or what they look like, Scots Heraldry law is the ‘last law standing’ given all the other powers of Scottish Chiefs has steadily vanished since the 1746 Jacobite Campaign, and Heraldry remains the only method by which a Clan Chief can now be recognised by the British Crown.

What drew you to heraldry in particular?

For me it was actually a case of putting a name to something I had always been fond of, the mysterious, enchanting and colourful imagery you find throughout Scotland, the Clan crests, and the stories behind the designs….as it turns out, that’s Heraldry! It perfectly encapsulates law, history, art, culture and imagination, and is a fascinating and wonderful area of interest to be in and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Many of the most triumphant and turbulent pages of Scotland’s history can be found in heraldry, it is a method of identification which has become one also of pride, community, and heritage, and it is still getting larger, busier, and better! Coats of Arms are still granted each week in Scotland to Scottish born men and women, organisations, as well as those overseas with provable Scottish heritage, we are so fortunate in Scotland to have such a healthy and strong heraldic arena, and its an open door….everyone can get involved, and should!

Given that Heraldry can be found around the world, is there anything unique or different about heraldry in Scotland we should know?

This is a great question – Scotland’s heraldic structure is entirely unique in the 21st century due to it being regulated by a Court of Law, the Court of the Lord Lyon, which is largely staffed by Civil Servants and funded by the Scottish Government. Our Heraldry in Scotland is largely grounded in something called ‘The Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland’, which is a register founded in the year 1672 and contains all legally granted and recognised Coats of Arms in Scotland, there are now over 90 volumes of the Register, and it continues to be added to each week.

The Lord Lyon (pronounced ‘lion’) is a position which not only regulates heraldry, but also heads up all state ceremonial in Scotland, and leads a team of dedicated and skilled professionals which provide advice, guidance and steer on a wide number of areas. Heraldry in Scotland has retained its protection, and with it – its purpose in our nation to tell stories, identify people and places, and as Clan culture steadily spreads around the world and thrives in areas where Scottish heritage can be found, it is an increasing source of pride and community.

I would highly recommend visiting www.courtofthelordlyon.scot for more information on this ancient office, working for a modern Scotland.

For anyone interested in acquiring Arms, can you explain the process? I imagine much like when we design a bespoke tartan, there will be a number of regulations surrounding this.

The process is reasonably straight forward and has remained largely the same for over 350 years, however I would stress that, if you are considering petitioning for a Coat of Arms, to do as much research as possible beforehand will help with each step, and ensure any design which is granted, is the best possible representation of what you are seeking. If you are unsure where to start or what research is advisable, do contact either Lyon Office, The Heraldry Society of Scotland or if you are a member of Clan MacEwen, feel free to reach out to me directly via the Clan MacEwen website.

To obtain a new Scottish Coat of Arms you must have either been born in Scotland, be of provable Scottish heritage, or have another connection to Scotland which may bring you under the Lord Lyon’s jurisdiction. If you are unsure whether you qualify you may contact Lyon Office and they can provide further information. The process is slightly different if you are seeking existing / older Arms be matriculated to you, so I will just stick to what the process is for new Grants of Arms to an individual.

Firstly, the granting of Coats of Arms in Scotland (and across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth) is done on behalf of The Sovereign (The King or Queen) and is not a commercial purchase or something you buy in a shop on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh…there is no such thing as a ‘family’ Coat of Arms, anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to make a fast and false buck from you! In Scotland the Lord Lyon exercises the Royal Prerogative in Granting Coats of Arms and has complete discretion in this regard. Petitions for Coats of Arms are submitted to the Lord Lyon by people wishing to obtain Arms and the layout of what the Petition looks like, including what genealogical information may be included can be found on the Lyon Court website. Now, one of the great myths of Heraldry is that Coats of Arms are only for the rich and the privileged, that is not at all the case in Scotland, the legal test for whether or not someone may be granted a Coat of Arms is dependent upon if they are ‘virtuous and well-deserving’, and again the Lord Lyon is the sole judge of that. Heraldry in Scotland has always been more egalitarian than elsewhere in the world, and we should be proud of that.

Once jurisdiction is established then comes the exciting matter of the design! In Scotland, personal heraldry follows something called ‘indeterminate cadency’, which means, largely speaking, all members of a Clan or bearers of the same surname, will largely have Coats of Arms which are similar in design to one another, in order to be identified as a member of that Clan or Family. So, for instance all Stewarts, Macphersons, Macnabs etc will all share specific design elements which place them within the wider Armorial family of that name, and then additional design elements do ‘difference’ the Coat of Arms for the particular person, make them all individually identifiable.

The design ideas are discussed with Lord Lyon and eventually once that it is all agreed, and all the other legal tests are met, Lord Lyon will sign a Warrant authorising the Arms be created and entered into the Register. Thereafter you a beautiful velum Letters Patent is created which lists the applicable genealogy and is stamped with the seal of the Lord Lyon, which also then protects that Coat of Arms from illegal misuse, as well as authorising the Arms to be entered into the Public Register of all Arms and Bearings, which is then retained ‘forever’, thereby cementing that grant of Arms into Scotland’s great armorial story.

It is such a wonderful part of our culture and a process which is very affirming, enjoyable, exciting and entirely transparent in its purpose and legal standing. More information can be found on the Lord Lyon website and I would encourage those with a passion for Scottish culture, history and heritage, to explore whether they may be eligible for a Coat of Arms, and to please reach out to Lyon Office or The Heraldry Society of Scotland if you would like more information.

Do you have your own Arms and can someone include a lot of personal symbolism within the design?

I do indeed have my own Coat of Arms, which I received from the Lord Lyon in June 2023 in Edinburgh and I remain incredibly proud to be an ‘armiger’, someone with a legal Coat of Arms, and would go as far as saying Petitioning for a Coat of Arms is one of most affirming and enjoyable decisions I have ever made.

I am also fortunate and privileged to have received the first band new Coat of Arms to a living Scottish MacEwen in 115 years and have certainly sought to put them to good use. My wife can use my Arms by courtesy and my parents wear the crest proudly, as the design process itself was certainly a team effort within the family, and something I believe we are all proud of.

There is scope for including personal symbolism within reason, however one must remember that Coats of Arms are heritable property and therefore will be passed down the generations, and so making Arms too overly personal to you may actually be to the disadvantage of the design, and which may make them unattractive to future generations to display and use.

For my Coat of Arms I sought to include as many different family elements as I could rather than specifically relating to just me, while at the same time aiming to keep the design simple, Coats of Arms are there to be read quickly and be instantly identifiable, designs which are too cluttered or busy can sometimes result in a design which is difficult to decipher, especially from a distance.

Lord Lyon and their staff can act as a guide regarding design elements which are appropriate to your surname, maybe aspects of your profession or possibly somewhere of geographical importance, there is such a wide spectrum of possibilities however one must remember that Lord Lyon has the final say, and the designing of a Coat of Arms is a collaborative effort. If you are a member of a Clan do get in touch if they have a Society or an Association, as they should be able to help with showing you previous Arms of that surname and lend any expertise they have to help your research and preparation of a Petition.

It's all extremely good fun! And the results literally last forever, and can form a large part of your identity, and be something you can be incredibly proud of. I was fortunate in being presented with my Letters Patent by the Lord Lyon in person in June 2022, and the photograph of us with my Letters Patent remains, and I suspect always will, a firm favourite of mine.

There is a real trend just now for exploring your roots and therefore more interest in Scottish heritage. Are the Societies you are part of benefiting from this? Do you see this continuing?

Scotland is a global entity, for such a small country with such a small population, our influence and travels around the world over centuries has meant our culture is to be found in so many places, in so many forms, by so many people.

While I very much wish that participation in Clan culture here in Scotland was a great deal more active than it is (although, we are making progress) there is no denying the greatest drive and vibrant participation in areas of interest such as Clans is coming from overseas from throughout the diaspora. These are people who are fiercely dedicated to exploring their heritage and travelling to Scotland often. What the answer is to the question of greater participation of native Scots, I am not yet sure, however it is something which my peers and I are putting increasingly more thought and effort into answering and responding to as without Scottish involvement then we potentially run the risk of celebrating something which over time becomes less authentic, which no one wants.

For Clan MacEwen, our largest membership base is in the United States by quite a margin, and engaging more Scots is very high on our list of objectives. I suppose as Scots we are not searching for where we are from in the same way that others from overseas are, and maybe there is a question of pride or re-engaging with this area of our culture, and what it means beyond the kilts and the whisky. The answer of course is, it means a great deal, the dressing up and the celebrations are fun, however there is something much more special, unique, and it forms the fabric of our nation and the story of our people, we should rightfully be proud of that, I certainly am and encourage at every opportunity for others to be also.

On behalf of the leadership of Clan MacEwen, I want to express our sincere thanks to ScotlandShop for all you do, and especially for featuring Clan MacEwen as the Clan for April 2024, as we steadily creep towards our Gathering in June and with any luck, the position of Chief of MacEwen, a role which has been vacant for over five centuries, can finally be filled.

If you are a member of a Clan, look them up, see if they have a Society or an Association active, get involved and enjoy this wonderful area of interest, you won’t regret it!

Yours Aye,

Ross M. McEwen