Clan Forbes Society
HERITAGE
Clan Forbes Tartan
While the notion of “clan tartans” has been a relatively recent notion, our Celtic ancestors have been weaving a distinctive tartan cloth for millennia. The Scottish Register of Tartans lists 12 Forbes tartans. See all tartans here.
Coats of Arms of the House of Forbes
The Lord Lyon grants coats of arms as "heraldic achievement" to a single person and this my be inherited by the eldest son. Use of the specific coat of arms by any other person is illegal in Scotland – as one well-known American company discovered. Members of the House of Forbes have many Coats of Arms registered by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. See more here.
Castles and Mansion Houses
Druminnor Castle was the original Castle Forbes and was the seat of the Chiefs of Clan Forbes for over 500 years until it was sold by the 16th Lord Forbes in 1770. Putachie House was later expanded and is now called Castle Forbes. Craigievar Castle is is now one of the most popular properties owned by the National Trust for Scotland. See more here.
Variations, Septs, and Associated Families
You do not need to have a surname of “Forbes” to be considered a part of Clan Forbes! Clan Forbes also welcomes everyone who has an ancestor that was a Forbes, a birth surname that is a spelling variation such as Fobes or Forbush, descendants of one of the traditional “septs” of Forbes such as Fordyce or Watts, and anyone who has an interest or spiritual connection to Clan Forbes. Learn more here.
The Forbes: Peerage and Protocol
As members of Clan Forbes, we show respect for our Clan Chief Malcolm, Lord Forbes. This respect has been earned in many ways over the centuries by his ancestors and by his role as the Chief of the Name and Arms of Forbes and in his rank as hereditary Lord of Parliament. Learn more here.
