Clan Forbes Society

Stone speaks. It remembers the ambitions of those who raised its walls, the lives of those who inhabited its rooms, and the turbulent events that shaped their fortunes. In Forbes: A Story in Stone, author B. R. Forbes invites readers to discover the remarkable history of Clan Forbes through the castles, tower houses, and country estates that bear witness to more than seven centuries of Scottish family history. Beginning with the ancestral seats of Druminnor Castle and Castle

In the mid-1960s, Druminnor Castle was undergoing a remarkable transformation. After more than 180 years away from Forbes ownership, the ancient seat of the family had returned to Forbes hands in 1955 when Margaret Forbes-Sempill, daughter of Sir John Forbes of Craigievar, 18th Lord Sempill, purchased the property. Over the following decade, she undertook an ambitious program to strip away later alterations and recover the character of the medieval Forbes castle. A surviving

Few castles symbolize Scotland's turbulent past more vividly than Dunnottar Castle. Perched atop a rocky headland overlooking the North Sea, it served as the mighty seat of the Keith Earls Marischal, withstood sieges, and famously safeguarded the Honors of Scotland from Cromwell's army. Hidden within its story, however, is a lesser-known connection to Clan Forbes through the Forbes of Waterton, a cadet branch whose loyalty and service earned them a lasting place within the fo

Few surviving sporting scrapbooks preserve the daily life of Ireland's Edwardian hunting world as vividly as that of Lady Eva Mary Margaret Forbes. Compiled during the opening year of the twentieth century, her album records not only horses and hunts but the people, landscapes, and social traditions of a vanished Anglo-Irish society.

The Vanishing Laird: Scotland's Elusive Jacobite, Lord Forbes of Pitsligo is available worldwide from Amazon! This is a remarkable collection of stories gathered by Jim and Liz Taylor, continuing an oral tradition that has echoed for generations along the northern coast of Aberdeenshire. These tales center on the life and legend of Alexander Forbes, fourth Lord Pitsligo, (1678–1762) who remains one of the most beloved figures in Scottish memory. He was a laird of compassion

Inverernan House lies in the Forbes dùthchas, on the River Don between Druminnor Castle and Corgarff Castle. Part of the larger Skellater estate, these lands were first claimed by Alistair Cam, 1st Laird of Brux, who was a brother of Sir Alexander, 1st Lord Forbes. In 1686, William Forbes, 2nd of Skellater, gave a portion of the Skellater estate to his son John, known as “Black Jock,” marking the first documented creation of the Forbes of Inverernan branch.

You already bear a deep appreciation for the legacy, resilience, and remarkable history of Clan Forbes. Now, you can cherish the one book that brings that legacy to life more vividly, more intimately, and more powerfully than anything published before: Forbes: A Story of Scotland.

Corse Castle has stood for us for centuries. Now it is our turn to stand for Corse. Corse Castle stands today as a gaunt, roofless shell on a quiet rise above the Corse Burn—its stones weathered, its halls silent, its once‑proud silhouette softened by centuries of wind and overgrowth. Yet for the Forbes family, this ruin was once the beating heart of a powerful cadet line whose influence stretched across Scotland, Ireland, and the world. In 1476, King James III granted Patric

By Paul Moore, Gainesville, Florida Detail of Engagement at the North Bridge in Concord, Amos Doolittle. Credit: Concord Museum, Concord, MA This year, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. For some, this was a revolutionary break. For others, this was a gradual separation due to Britain's century of "salutary neglect," according to Edmund Burke in his “Speech on Conciliation with America” in the Ho

Edinglassie House stands in the quiet upper reaches of Glen Ernan, a side valley of Strathdon long associated with the Forbeses of Newe. Its personality is unmistakably shaped by the family who built, expanded, and stewarded it: practical Highland lairds who became global merchants, political figures, and symbols of Forbes resilience.

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.

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