Clan of the Month - Hardy Hays

The name Hay comes from Normandy, where there’s a cluster of villages called La Haye in the Cotentin Peninsula on the northeast coast of France. In Gaelic, Hay is rendered as Garadh or MacGaradh.

The origin of Clan Hay is shrouded in some magic mystery. One story goes that in the year 971, during the reign of King Kennth II, Scotland was under attack from Danish Vikings. The attacking Vikings had crossed the North Sea and sailed up the Tay estuary to Perth.

The Scots were losing against their fierce opponents at the Battle of Luncarty in Perthshire, but their fortunes were turned around by a family of farmers who saw what was happening with the battle and stepped in. The Scottish farmer and his two sons took to the battlefield with their plough yokes, and brought the Scots to victory.

King Kenneth was, of course, overjoyed, and insisted on rewarding his saviours. He released a falcon from the top of Kinnoull Hill, stating that the land covered during the bird’s flight would become the property of the farmer and his sons.

Sadly, there seems to be little fact in this fantastic story. The Hays originally came from Normandy, from the barony of Le Haye. William is the first recorded Hay in Scotland, and he was the Cup Bearer to King Malcolm IV in 1160. Either this Malcolm or his son who bore the same name, received the Barony of Errol through his marriage to a Celtic heiress, Eva of Pitmilly, in 1178. He became the first Chief of the Clan.

The chiefs of the clan are the Earls of Erroll, and they also hold the title of the Lord’s High Constable of Scotland ever since Sir Gilbert Hay was given the title by Robert the Bruce following the Battle of Bannockburn.

Thanks to the clan’s prominence, there are numerous septs associated with Clan Hay:

Clan Hay has been prominent throughout Scotland’s history, and you’ll find members of the clan all across the country. The historic heart of the Hay clan can be found in the north east of Scotland, including Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Morayshire and Nairn, but there’s also a number of clan members to be found in Perthshire, the Borders and even in Shetland.

The first Hays ventured from France to Scotland in the middle of the 12th century, and you can now find Hays all around the world, from Latvia to South Africa.

Over the years, the Hays have owned 150 or so castles but sadly, many have now fallen into disrepair or disappeared completely.

Old Slains Castle and New Slains Castle are both located in Aberdeenshire in north-east Scotland. Old Slains Castle near Collieston was given to Sir Gilbert Hay in the 14th century by Robert the Bruce to recognise his support in the fight against the English. Today, only one wall of the castle remains.

New Slains Castle is nearby, sitting atop a cliff close to Cruden Bay. It was sold by the Earl of Erroll in 1913. Although it’s in ruins now, in its heyday, it provided inspiration for spooky stories such as Dracula. It’s believed that the castle inspired Bram Stoker, who started writing the book when he was visiting Cruden Bay. The castle’s octagonal hall, used as a reception room for guests, inspired the octagonal room in the novel. The main character, Jonathan Harker, states “The Count halted, putting down my bags, closed the door, and crossing the room, opened another door which led into a small octagonal room lit by a simple lamp, and seemingly without a window of any sort.”

Duns Castle has been the home of the Hay family since 1696 when it was acquired by the First Earl of Tweeddale. His descendants, Alick and Aline Hay, still own the castle to this day, and live in its private quarters. The rest of the castle and the estate is open to visitors - and you might even encounter one very special visitor, as it’s said the castle is haunted by Alexander Hay, who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Delgatie Castle is situated near Turriff in Aberdeenshire, the very heart of Clan Hay territory. It’s been in the family for 650 years, and although it’s passed through the hands of a few families since then, it was bought back by the Hays in 1950. It now operates as the official Clan Hay centre, and guests are welcome to visit the castle and its grounds.

The motto of the clan is ‘Serva Jugum’, which translates to ‘Keep the yoke’, harking back to those early farmers who led the clan to victory. This motto appears in the clan crest, along with a falcon, which defined the Hay land with its flight.

There are three Clan Hay tartans to choose from, with two modern and one ancient style.

Hay Modern

This striking style heavily features a bold red, broken up with distinctive yellow thread and green.

Hay Ancient

The colour palette of this older tartan is slightly more muted. This is because, before 1860, fabrics were dyed using animal and vegetable dyes rather than chemical dyes as in the modern tartans.

Hay and Leith

This bold tartan was created for the Leith-Hay family, based near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. It dates back to 1819, making it the oldest of the Hay tartans.

As mentioned, the Normandy Hays first arrived in Scotland in the middle of the 12th century with William II de Haya being the first known clansman in the country.

The Hays played a prominent part in Scottish history, with significant players in key events from the Wars of Independence to the Jacobite risings.

One of William II de Haya’s descendants, Gilbert de Haye of Erroll, originally swore fealty to Edward I in 1296 at Aberdeen, but by 1306 he’d swapped sides, joining Robert the Bruce. The Wars of Scottish Independence were fought in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, and Gilbert remained loyal to the Bruce throughout his reign from 1306 to 1328. He was declared a traitor by Edward I, but was rewarded by the Bruce for his loyalty with a charter over Slains in Aberdeenshire, as well as the office of Constable of the realm of Scotland. He was the first Hay to hold the role, and it’s remained in the family ever since.

The Anglo-Scottish Wars took place between Scotland and England between the early 14th century through to the late 16th century, and the Hay family suffered heavily with losses in the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

During the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, the Hays remained loyal Catholics meaning they were allies to the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots who awarded the title of Lord Lieutenant of all Central Scotland to George Hay, the 7th Earl of Erroll.

The Hays were even involved in a daring plot with King Philip II of Spain to make Britain a Catholic stronghold by overthrowing Queen Elizabeth I and converting King James VI to Catholicism. However, the plot amounted to nothing with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in August 1588. King James must have got wind of the conspiracy, as Old Slains Castle was blown up in 1594. and the Earl of Erroll fled into exile.

During the English Civil War of 1642-1651, the Hays were on the side of the Royalists, marching in support of King Charles I at the Battle of Aberdeen in 1644. However, James Hay was captured and executed soon after in 1650.

The Hays supported the Jacobites after the Act of Union in 1707, when Scotland and England were, as the treaty put it, “united into one kingdom by the name of Great Britain”. The Jacobites were fighting for the House of Stuart to be restored to the British throne, and the Hays supported the Stuarts in both Jacobite uprisings, of 1715 and 1745.

When Jacobitism collapsed in the late 1700s, the Hays became loyal to the British crown, and they played a key part in the expansion of the British Empire throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Today, Clan Hay is led by Merlin Hay, the 24th Earl of Errol. The Clan Hay Society was founded in 1951 to keep the heritage of the clan alive, bringing together members from all over the world. The society offers a great resource for those looking to meet other members of the clan, as well as an annual clan gathering.