As of April 2025, this is the list of Chiefs/Commanders of clans and families recognised by the Lord Lyon and includes those in membership of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, who only invite Chiefs or Commanders recognised by the Lord Lyon to sit on the Standing Council.
Clan Commanders are commissioned, after an election by the clan during a derbfine/gathering. This event is always held in Scotland, under the supervision of the Lord Lyon or his representative. If the elected individual and the process is acceptable to the Lord Lyon, they are appointed to head, as a Commander, an armigerous clan for a period of years or until a hereditary Chief is confirmed. Clan Logan have just gone through the process (April ’25), where three candidates were put forward. The successful and duly elected Commander of this clan, who awaits official acceptance and commissioning by the Lord Lyon, resides in America. His name is Jon Kevin Logan.
As such, it is the recognition by the Lord Lyon, an Officer of the Sovereign, that carries the weight, not the country of residence.
- */**Although Chiefs in their own right, these individuals fall under a ‘High Chief’ who historically acted as Chief of the whole clan. Only two cases fall into this category and they are from two large Scottish clans: *Clan Donald (Macdonald) and **Clan Leod (Macleod). These Chiefs, although fully recognised as such, are the closest thing Scottish clans come to having clan Chieftains.
- NB: Carruthers is a Scottish Border Clan and Family with origins in Annandale, Dumfriesshire. The hereditary chief is Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains, who resides in the UK.
- If one of the 17 border names is listed and mentioned in the 1587 Act of the ‘Suppression of Unruly Clans’ the superscript (17) is added. Not all currently are recognised as having Chiefs or Commanders and remain armigerous, although such as Bell are still in process.
The video below shows the changes in lands owned by the different Scottish clan and family names. Carruthers, as you can see remains pretty static and although not as large as some riding families, they were considered an influential and highly respected family in their own right.
Much of the Carruthers lands were lost or sold over time, however the estate of Carruthers of Dormont still sits on the ancestral lands, at one time owned by Holmains.
RECOGNISED CHIEFS AND COMMANDERS OF SCOTTISH CLANS AND FAMILIES
| CLAN/FAMILY NAME | CHIEF or COMMANDER (c) |
| Agnew | Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw Bt |
| Allardice | Richard Allardice of Allardice |
| Anstruther | Toby Anstruther of that Ilk |
| Arbuthnott | Keith, Viscount Arbuthnott |
| Arthur | John MacArthur of that Ilk |
| Bannerman | Sir David Bannerman of Elsick Bt. |
| Barclay | Peter Barclay of that Ilk |
| Borthwick | The Lord Borthwick |
| Boyle | The Earl of Glasgow |
| Brodie | Alexander Brodie of Brodie |
| Broun | Sir Wayne Broun of Colstoun Bt. |
| Bruce | The Earl of Elgin & Kincardine |
| Buchan | Charles Buchan of Auchmacoy |
| Buchanan | Michael Buchanan of that Ilk and Arnprior |
| Burnett | James Burnett of Leys |
| Cameron | Donald Cameron of Lochiel |
| Campbell | His Grace The Duke of Argyll |
| Carmichael | Richard Carmichael of Carmichael |
| Carnegie | The Duke of Fife |
| Carruthers (17) | Dr Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains |
| Cathcart | The Earl Cathcart |
| Charteris | The Earl of Wemyss and March |
| Chattan | John Mackintosh of Mackintosh |
| Chisholm | Hamish Chisholm of Chisholm |
| Cochrane | The Earl of Dundonald |
| Colville | The Viscount Colville of Culross |
| Colquhoun | Sir Malcolm Colquhoun of Luss Bt. |
| Cranstoun | David Cranson of that Ilk and Corehouse |
| Crighton | David Chrighton of that Ilk |
| Cumming | Sir Gordon Cumming of Altyre Bt |
| Cunningham | Sir John Cunninghame of that Ilk and Corsehill |
| Currie | Robert Currie (c) |
| Dalrymple | The Earl of Stair |
| Davidson | Grant Davidson of Davidson |
| Dewar | Michael Kenneth Dewar of that Ilk and Vogrie |
| Drummond | The Earl of Perth |
| Dunbar | Sir James Dunbar of Mochrum Bt. |
| Dundas | David Dundas of Dundas |
| Durie | Andrew Durie of Durie CBE |
| Eliott (17) | Madam Margaret Eliott of Redheugh |
| Elphinstone | The Lord Elphinstone |
| Erskine | The Earl of Mar and Kellie |
| Ewen | Sir John McEwen Bt. |
| Ewing | Thor Ewing (c) |
| Farquharson | Captain Alwyne Farquharson of Invercauld |
| Fergusson | Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran Bt |
| Forbes | The Lord Forbes |
| Forsyth | Alistair Forsyth of that ilk |
| Fraser | The Lady Saltoun |
| Fraser of Lovat | The Lord Lovat |
| Greirson | Madam Sarah Grierson of Lag |
| Gordon | The Marquess of Huntly |
| Graham (17) | The Duke of Montrose |
| Grant | James Patrick Trevor Grant of Grant, |
| Gunn | Iain Gunn of Gunn |
| Guthrie | Alexander Guthrie of Guthrie |
| Haig | The Earl Haig |
| Haldane | Martin Haldane of Gleneagles |
| Hannay | Prof David Hannay of Kirkdale and of that Ilk |
| Hay | The Earl of Erroll |
| Henderson | Alistair Henderson of Fordell |
| Hope | Sir Alexander Hope of Craighall Bt. |
| Hunter | Madam Pauline Hunter of Hunterson |
| Irvine | Alexander Irvine of Drum |
| Irving of Bonshaw (17) | Rupert Irving of Bonshaw |
| Jardine (17) | Sir William Jardine of Applegirth Bt. |
| Johnstone (17) | The Earl of Annandale And Hartfell |
| Keith | The Earl of Kintore |
| Kennedy | The Marquess of Ailsa |
| Kerr | The Marquess of Lothian |
| Kincaid | Madam Arabella Kincaid of Kincaid |
| Lamont | Father Peter Noel Lamont of that Ilk |
| Leask | Dr Jonathan Leask of that Ilk |
| Leslie | The Earl of Rothes and Lord of Leslie |
| Lennox | Edward Lennox of that Ilk |
| Lindsay | The Earl of Crawford and Balcarres |
| Lockhart | Ranald Lockhart of The Lee |
| Logan | Jon Kevin Logan (c) – Awaiting confirmation by Lord Lyon |
| Lumsden | Gillem Lumsden of that Ilk |
| Lyon | The Earl of Strathmore |
| Macalister | William MacAlester of Loup and Kennox |
| Macalpin€ | Michael T. McAlpin (c) |
| MacBain | James McBain of McBain |
| *MacDonald of Clanranald | The Captain of Clanranald |
| *MacDonald of Glengarry | Ranald Euan Macdonell of Glengarry |
| *MacDonald of Keppoch | Ranald MacDonald of Keppoch |
| *MacDonald of Macdonald | The Lord Macdonald of MacDonald |
| *MacDonald of Sleat | Sir Ian Macdonald of Sleat Bt. |
| MacDougall | Morag MacDougall of MacDougall |
| MacDowall | Fergus Macdowall of Garthland |
| MacPhie | Ian Macfie of Halifax(c) |
| MacGillivray | Iain MacGillivray (c) |
| MacGregor | Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor Bt. |
| MacIntyre | Donald Russell MacIntyre of Glenoe |
| Machlachlan | Euan Maclachlan of Maclachlan |
| Mackay | The Lord Reay |
| Mackenzie | The Earl of Cromartie |
| MacLaine | Lorne Maclaine of Lochbuie |
| MacLaren | Donald MacLaren of MacLaren |
| Maclea/Livingstone | Niall Livingstone of Bachuil, Baron |
| MacLean | Major Sir Lachlan MacLean of Duart and Morvern Bt. |
| MacLennan | Ruairidh MacLennan of MacLennan |
| **Macleod of Macleod | Hugh, Macleod of Macleod |
| **Macleod of Raasay | John Macleod of Raasay |
| **Macleod of the Lewes | Torquil Macleod of the Lewes |
| MacMillan | George MacMillan of MacMillan and Knap |
| Macnab | Jamie Macnab of Macnab |
| Macnaghten | Sir Malcolm Francis Macnaghten of MacNaghten Bt |
| Macneacail | John Macneacail of Macneacail & Scorrabreac |
| Macneil | Roderick Macneil of Barra |
| Macpherson | Sir William Macpherson of Cluny |
| MacTavish | Steven MacTavish of Dunardry |
| MacThomas | Andrew MacThomas of Finegand |
| Maitland | The Earl of Lauderdale |
| Makgill | The Viscount Oxfuird |
| Malcolm (MacCallum) | Robin Malcolm of Poltalloch |
| Mar | The Countess of Mar |
| Marjoribanks | Andrew Marjoribanks of that Ilk |
| Matheson | Sir Alexander Matheson of Matheson, Bt |
| McBain | James McBain of McBain |
| Menzies | Robert Ronald Menzies of that Ilk, Baron of Menzies |
| Moffat (17) | Madam Jean Moffat of that Ilk |
| Moncreiffe | Peregrine Moncreiffe of that Ilk |
| Montgomerie | The Earl of Eglinton & Winton |
| Morrison | John Ruairdh Morrison of Ruchdi |
| Munro | Hector Munro of Foulis |
| Murray | The Duke of Atholl |
| Napier | The Lord Napier and Ettrick |
| Nesbitt | Mark Nesbitt of that Ilk |
| Ogilvy | The Earl of Airlie |
| Oliphant | Richard Oliphant of that Ilk |
| Pringle | Sir Norman Pringle of that Ilk and Stichil Bt |
| Ramsay | The Earl of Dalhousie |
| Riddell | Sir Walter John Buchanan Riddell Bt |
| Robertson | Gilbert Robertson of Struan |
| Rollo | The Lord Rollo |
| Rose | David Rose of Kilravock |
| Ross | David Ross of Ross and Balnagowan |
| Ruthven | The Earl of Gowrie |
| Scott (17) | The Duke of Buccleuch KBE |
| Scott of Harden | The Lord Polwarth |
| Scrymgeour | The Earl of Dundee |
| Sempill, | The Lord Sempill |
| Shaw of Tordarroch | Iain Shaw of Tordarroch |
| Sinclair | The Earl of Caithness |
| Skene | Dugald Skene of Skene |
| Stirling | Fraser Stirling of Cader |
| Strachan | Rob Strachan (c) |
| Strange | Major Timothy Strange of Balcaskie |
| Sutherland | The Earl of Sutherland |
| Swinton | Rolf Swinton of that Ilk |
| Trotter | Henry Trotter of Mortonhall |
| Urquhart | Colonel Wilkins Urquhart of Urquhart |
| Wallace | Andrew Wallace of that Ilk |
| Wedderburn | The Lord Scrymgeour |
| Wemyss | Michael Wemyss of Wemyss |
| Wood | Joseph John Wood of Largo |
As an ancient name, Carruthers were lucky in our research to have the robust proofs to present to the Lord Lyon in order for our Chief to be confirmed through the genealogy of the chiefly line of Holmains. Holmains themselves came off the extinct line of Carruthers of Mouswald and through them, the ancient line of Carruthers of Carruthers dating back to the 11th century and beyond. As such the process of a derbfine/gathering was not required.
No derbfine/gathering/conventions can elect a chief, only a commander and all under the auspices and approval of the Lord Lyon. All Derbfine, if required are held in Scotland, usually in the area of the ancestral home/origins of that particular clan or family. Not all Scottish names or names used in Scotland had a recognised chief/heidsman, as such they may not have any historic or genealogical evidence to support one.
Our chief was confirmed in 2019, by the Lord Lyon King of Arms after nearly 2 years of examination and analysis of the petition and proofs and 2 court hearings. He was inaugurated on our ancestral lands in Annan, Dumfriesshire under the supervision of the Carruthers’ Shennachie, Dr George Carruthers and in the presence of Sir Crispin Agnew LVO KC, Albany Herald Extraordinary representing the Lord Lyon who presented his Letters Patent. This was conducted in 2024, in open forum and in front of nearly 200 members of the Carruthers family from both locally and from all around the world.
Promptus et Fidelis
Good afternoon
A friend of mine sent me a link to your page showing chiefs of clans. For accuracy’s sake I just wanted to ask if you would show me as Sir Alexander Matheson of Matheson, Bt. Andrew is my elder son!
I much enjoyed looking at your website. Congratulations to whoever designed it.
Yours in hope.
Alexander Matheson
Dear Alexander
I apologise for the error, which has been duly rectified.
The good news is that someone is reading my writings lol.
Enjoy your weekend
if you require anything else please just ask
Kindest regards
George Carruthers
Shennachie