Clan of the Month - Gregarious Gordon

Clan Gordon are thought to have originated from the Gourdon family of Normandy and are said to have settled in the Scottish Borders in the later stages of the 12th Century. The clan's first appearance in Scottish history came in the form of Richard of Gordon. Richard was the Lord Barony of Gordon in the Merse, now Berwickshire, and was said to have been the grandson of a famous knight.

With a story wrapped in myth and legend, Richard's grandfather is widely regarded as the hero of the Merse. So the story goes that a vicious beast stalked the countryside, terrorising the people of the Merse. Richard's grandfather was said to have hunted far and wide, before confronting the beast on a wet and misty marsh. As the fog rolled in, a terrible battle ensued, with the knight slaying the monster, saving the people of the Merse. Victorious, it is thought that he was awarded land surrounding the modern-day village of Gordon in the Scottish Borders, thus beginning the family we now know as Clan Gordon.

Clan Gordon are one of Scotland's most prominent clans and as such have numerous septs which have become associated with the clan.

There is some debate over the exact origins of Clan Gordon, with some sources suggesting that the family can be traced from Greece into Gaul, now modern-day France and Northern Spain. However, Clan Gordon are almost certainly of Anglo-Saxon descent and arrived in the British Isles from Normandy, France.

Following the defeat of the Monster of the Merse, the family settled in the Scottish Borders in the area surrounding Gordon, from where the clan grew to become one of Scotland's most prominent clans. The village of Gordon is named after the great Scottish clan. We have a particular interest in this area as Anna, our boss, grew up in Gordon and her mum still lives there today. Her son's middle name is even Gordon. More on this in a later blog!

The clan were also later granted lands in Aberdeenshire, near Strathbogie, now Huntly, which was home to the clan's seat Huntly Castle. Clan Gordon named their seat Huntly Castle after the village of Huntly, which was located near the village of Gordon. Huntly Castle served as the seat of Clan Gordon for hundreds of years and was owned by the clan until 1923.

The modern seat of Clan Gordon is Aboyne Castle, near the town of Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. The castle had been under the control of Clan Gordon since the 15th century and was restored by the current Marquess of Huntly in 1979.

The motto of Clan Gordon is "Bydand" which means "abiding" or "steadfast". This motto is embossed on the clan's crest which shows a graceful stag and elegant crown. The stag is a regal creature and king of the forest, which signifies the strong position of the clan.

The official plant of Clan Gordon is the rock ivy, which can often be found clinging to the walls of buildings. The ScotlandShop head office is a prime example of this!

There's plenty of choice when it comes to Clan Gordon tartans, with nine different variants to choose from.

Traditional Clan Tartans

The traditional Clan Gordon tartans incorporate a fairly conservative style, making use of different greens and blues, with a dash of yellow. The lighter tones of the ancient variant would have been traditionally created using natural dyes from a wide variety of different plants. Green was achieved through mixing gorse bark, broom and knapweed; with blues created through a concoction of blaeberries, alum and club. moss. The tartans vibrant yellow stripe was added through mixing bracken with heather.

The darker Gordon Clan modern tartan is based on the iconic Black Watch modern, making use of similar colours, with the inclusion of a bold yellow stripe. It is often simply referred to as military tartan.

The Gordon Dress tartans are very similar to the clan's more traditional styles but have much bolder designs. This gives the tartan a striking, fancy appearance, which is fitting given that these tartans are common sights at celebrations and highland dance festivals. The inclusion of white makes the tartan stand out in style whilst twirling in a kilt or skirt.

Coloured tartans are often worn as an alternative to the traditional clan tartans, incorporating a wider range of colours for a fun design and style. The Gordon Red tartans are often referred to as "Huntly" tartan after the clan's historic seat.

Coloured Tartans

Coloured tartans are often worn as an alternative to the traditional clan tartans, incorporating a wider range of colours for a fun design and style. The Gordon Red tartans are often referred to as "Huntly" tartan after the clan's historic seat.

Vote for your favourite Gordon Clan Tartan:

Richard Gordon, the first Gordon on record, passed away, circa 1200. Between 1150 and 1160, he was said to have granted part of his large estate to the Monks of St Mary at Kelso. This was confirmed by his son Thomas, and increased by his grandson, who gifted more land to the Monks of Coldstream. Upon the death of Richard's grandson, in 1285, there was no male heir to carry the family name. He was survived by his daughter Alicia Gordon, the heiress of the Gordon Estate. She as married to her cousin Adam Gordon, which unified the clan and ensured the clan's continuity.

Adam Gordon was a famous warrior, who joined King Louis of France on a crusade to the holy land, in the area surrounding Palestine. He travelled there on the orders of Alexander III of Scotland, however, he sadly never returned from the expedition. It is said that all of the Gordons in Scotland are descended from his son, who was also called Adam. This Adam Gordon was a strong supporter of William Wallace and aided him in the capture of the Castle of Wigtown from the English in 1297, and was made Governor.

During the Wars of Independence, Sir Adam Gordon, who had previously supported Wallace, renounced the rule of King Edward I of England and became a staunch supporter of Robert the Bruce. Gordon even travelled to Rome as an envoy for Bruce, following the murder of John Comyn, to ask the Pope to reverse the excommunication of Bruce. Upon his return to Scotland, Gordon led the clan in many battles, before falling at the Battle of Halidon Hill, in 1333.

It was roughly around this time that Clan Gordon acquired their land in Aberdeenshire, although there is some confusion over the exact date. Some sources suggest that the lands were awarded to Sir Adam Gordon, by Robert the Bruce, following his expedition to Rome; whilst others argue that it was his surviving son, Alexander who was granted the lands and was the first to hold the title of Huntly. There is likely some truth in both of these theories. Clan Gordon significantly increased their power through their support of Robert the Bruce, and now held large swathes of land in both the Borders and Aberdeenshire.

The Wars of Independence continued for many years, which saw the deaths of two more clan chiefs. Sir John Gordon, fell in the Battle of Otterburn where the English were defeated in 1388, with his surviving heir, Sir Adam Gordon falling at the Battle of Humbleton Hill, on the 14th September 1402. The chief's daughter, Elizabeth Gordon, was the surviving heir to the estate. She was married to Alexander Seton, the son of the Chief of Clan Seton, and so once again, the continuity of the Gordon name was in peril.

In 1449, Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Huntly, and eldest son of Elizabeth Gordon changed the family name from Seton to Gordon, thus securing the Gordon name. In the years that followed, Clan Gordon had several disputes with neighbouring clans, notably, Clan Lindsay who they defeated, with the help of Clan Ogilvy, at the Battle of Brechin in 1452.

Following the clan disputes, Clan Gordon became entangled in a deadly power struggle between Clan Douglas and the throne. The Gordons leant their support to the king and travelled south. In their absence, the Earl of Moray ransacked their rich lands and raised their seat, Huntly Castle, to the ground. Upon hearing this, Clan Gordon returned home and vanquished their enemies. The clan rebuilt Huntly Castle, and following the defeat of Clan Douglas, Clan Gordon grew exponentially unchallenged. Clan Douglas raised their banners again in 1454 and challenged the crown in the south and Huntly in the north. They were easily defeated, and so ended the attempted power grab of Clan Douglas, and their allies the Rossesand Crawfords. For his role in their defeat, Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly was awarded the title "Cock o' the North" a title which the chiefs of Clan Gordon hold to this day.

In 1513, during the Anglo-Scottish Wars, Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly led the clan at the Battle of Flodden, which was one of the largest ever battles fought between the two nations. It resulted in an English victory, however, King James IV fell in battle, becoming the last monarch in the Britsh Isles to die in battle.

In 1526, the prestigious title of Earl of Sutherland, and chieftainship of Clan Sutherland passed to Adam Gordon, the younger son of George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, through marriage.

Later in the wars, George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, defeated the English army at the Battle of Haddon Rig 1542, but the Gordons were also part of the Scottish army which was defeated at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547. Gordon was also general of the forces who opposed the army of King Henry VIII in the Border regions. He had many victories over his opponents, before his death at the Battle of Corrichie in 1562, fighting the forces of James Stuart, Earl of Moray. With Gordon dead, his son John, amongst other family members, were executed in Aberdeen.

In 1644, during the Civil War, there were Gordons on both sides of the divide at the Battle of Aberdeen. Lord Lewis Gordon commanded his forces in support of the Covenanters, while Sir Nathaniel Gordon and his forces sided with the Royalists. The year 1645 saw the clan participate in several battles. in support of the Royalists. The calvary was part of a decisive victory at the Battle of Auldearn in 1645, where they helped to defeat Lord Seaforth, whilst George Gordon, 2nd Marquess of Huntly, led the clan to victory at the Battle of Alford. The Marquess' eldest son, George Gordon, sadly died in this battle.

During the first Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745, the Gordons once again found themselves on opposite sides of the divide. In the 1715 uprising, the second Duke of Gordon supported the Jacobites in 1715 and fought at the Battle of Sherrifmuir. His successor, Cosmo Gordon, 3rd Duke of Gordon, pledged his support to the British Government during the 1745 uprising, whilst his brother raised two regiments in support of the Jacobites. These Gordon Jacobite regiments fought at many key battles including the Battle of Inverurie, 1745; Battle of Falkirk 1746; and the Battle of Culloden, 1746.

Following the Jacobite uprisings, two British Army regiments, the Gordon Highlanders, were raised from Clan Gordon. The 81st Regiment of Foot was formed in 1777 by the Honourable Colonel William Gordon and was disbanded in 1783. The second was the 92nd, Gordon Highlanders, Regiment of Foot, which was raised by Alexander, the 4th Duke of Gordon, in 1794.

Today Clan Gordon lives on through the House of Gordon which seeks to bring together the members of Clan Gordon, and those interested in the history of the powerful clan. The House of Gordon is an amazing source of knowledge on all things Clan Gordon, with resources on the Gordon family tree, as well as the clan's many castles and other properties. Not only that, but they also provide a great way to meet the members of your clan.

The current chief of Clan Gordon is Granville Charles Gomer Gordon, 13th Marquess of Huntly, who resides in Aboyne Castle in Aberdeenshire.