Clan Forbes Society Blogs

For over thirty years, Jean and Robert Forbes of Dallas, Texas, shaped the cultural landscape of Scottish arts in the American Southwest. Their names became synonymous with excellence in Highland dance and piping, but their true legacy lies in the generations of young people they inspired, the communities they built, and the traditions they safeguarded with unwavering devotion. Jean Forbes was one of the region’s most respected Scottish dance instructors—disciplined, encourag

The Clan Forbes: Official Guide is now available on Amazon! This comprehensive, authoritative guide brings together our origins, our cadet branches, our castles and estates, our notable figures, and the traditions that continue to bind us as a global community. This work is the result of years of research, collaboration, and dedication to historical integrity. It is designed not only as a reference, but as an invitation: an invitation to explore, to learn, and to take pride i

Corse House is nestled in a quiet hollow just north of the Corse Burn, roughly three miles north-west of Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire. The abandoned and ruined Corse Castle is not far -- a mere five-minute walk – but distant by time. For centuries, the castle was the home of the Forbes of Corse, known for their respected clerics and as the family that gave rise to the Forbes of Craigievar. However, the castle was vacated in the nineteenth century for the comfort of a more modern

The village of Alford lies within the Howe—or Vale—of Alford, a fertile basin formed by the River Don in central Aberdeenshire. Sheltered by surrounding hills and connected historically by ancient routeways linking Highland and Lowland Scotland, the district has long been one of northeastern Scotland’s most productive agricultural regions. Yet Alford’s historical identity cannot be understood apart from the rise and endurance of one family: the House of Forbes. From the fourt

In the turbulent world of sixteenth-century Scotland, where clan alliances could shift from blood-bound loyalty to bitter betrayal, the tragic fate of John, Master of Forbes, stands as a stark reminder of how swiftly honor could be undone by vengeance. Once part of a powerful triad with the Gordons and Setons, the Forbes family found itself cast out and hunted after a retaliatory killing in Aberdeen shattered decades of kinship. At the center of the storm was young John—brave

Bart Forbes is a distinguished American painter and illustrator whose career has spanned more than five decades and who has become one of the most recognized figures in sports art and commercial illustration in the United States. Known for his loose yet realistic style, Forbes’s work has been featured in major magazines and institutional collections, and he has earned recognition from some of the most prominent art institutions in America.

The crisis that erupted in Scotland in the late 1630s began not with cannon fire, but with a prayer book. When Charles I of England attempted to impose religious uniformity across his kingdoms, he ignited resistance that would swell into the Bishops’ Wars and ultimately help precipitate the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

The Scottish Government describes Scotland’s global diaspora as an “extension of Scotland itself.” This living bridge connects the nation to people, organizations, and communities around the world. New survey findings from 2025 suggest that this metaphor is not merely aspirational. For many in the diaspora, Scotland is not a distant ancestral reference point but a deeply felt emotional home—one that continues to shape identity, values, and aspirations for connection. Drawing

Frances Mary Forbes (née Petre) does not feature prominently in historical accounts of the Forbes family. However, the traces she left in ledgers, mortgages, and probate books reveal a woman whose authority ran deeper than the public roles available to her.