
Chiefs and Commanders of Scottish Clans
As of June 2023, this is the list of Chiefs recognised by both the Lord Lyon and the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, and any Clan Commanders commissioned by the Lord Lyon to head an armigerous clan until a Chief is Confirmed.
*/** Although Chiefs of Clan Branches in their own right, these Chiefs fall under a High Chief who is Chief of the whole clan. Only two cases come to mind: *Clan Donald (Macdonald) and **Clan Leod (Macleod).
In this video showing the progression of Scottish Clans through the ages, Carruthers lands stay pretty static and although not as large as some, they are not considered small either.
(Carruthers in dark blue below Johnston). Click link below
List of Recognised Chiefs and Commanders of Scottish Clans and Families
Clan/Family | Chief/Commander |
Agnew | Sir Crispin Agnew of Locknaw Bt |
Allardice | Richard Allardice of Allardice |
Anstruther | Toby Anstruther of that Ilk |
Arbuthnott | Keith, Viscount Arbuthnott |
Arthur | John MacArthur of that Ilk |
Baird | Richard Holman Baird of Rickarton, Ury, and Lochwood (Commander) |
Bannerman | Sir David Bannerman of Elsick Bt. |
Bannerman | Sir David Bannerman of Elsick Bt. |
Barclay | Peter Barclay of that Ilk |
Borthwick | John, Lord Borthwick |
Boyle | Patrick, Earl of Glasgow |
Brodie | Alexander Brodie of Brodie |
Broun | Sir Wayne Broun of Colstoun Bt. |
Bruce | Andrew, Earl of Elgin & Kincardine |
Buchan | Charles Buchan of Auchmacoy |
Buchanan | John Michael Baillie-Hamilton Buchanan |
Burnett | James Burnett of Leys |
Cameron | Donald Cameron of Lochiel |
Campbell | Torquil, the Duke of Argyll |
Carmichael | Richard Carmichael of Carmichael |
Carnegie | David, Duke of Fife |
Carruthers | Simon Peter Carruthers of Holmains |
Cathcart | Charles, Earl Cathcart |
Charteris | James, Earl of Wemyss and March |
Chattan | John Mackintosh of Mackintosh |
Chisholm | Hamish Chisholm of Chisholm |
Cochrane | Ian, Earl of Dundonald |
Colville | Charles, Viscount Corville of Culross |
Colquhoun | Sir Malcolm Colquhoun of Luss Bt. |
Cranstoun | David Cranston of that Ilk |
Cumming | Sir Alexander Penrose Gordon Cumming of Altyre Bt |
Cunningham | Sir John Cunninghame of that Ilk and Corsehill |
Currie | Robert Currie (Commander) |
Dalrymple | John, Earl of Stair |
Davidson | Alister Davidson of Davidson |
Dewer | Michael Kenneth Dewar of that Ilk and Vogrie |
Drummond | John, Earl of Perth |
Dunbar | Sir James Dunbar of Mochrum Bt. |
Dundas | David Dundas of Dundas |
Durie | Andrew Durie of Durie |
Elliot | Madam Margaret Eliott of Redheugh |
Elphinstone | Alexander, Lord Elphinstone |
Erskine | James, the Earl of Mar and Kellie |
Ewen | Sir John McEwen Bt. (Commander) |
Ewing | Thor Ewing (Commander) |
Farquharson | Philip Farquharson of Invercauld |
Fergusson | Sir Charles Fergusson of Kilkerran Bt |
Forbes | Nigel, the Lord Forbes |
Forsyth | Alistair Forsyth of that ilk |
Fraser | Flora, the Lady Saltoun |
Fraser of Lovat | Simon, the Lord Lovat |
Greirson | Madam Sarah Grierson of Lag |
Gordon | Granville, Marquess of Huntly |
Graham | James, the Duke of Montrose |
Grant | James Patrick Trevor Grant of Grant, |
Gunn | Iain Gunn of Gunn |
Guthrie | Alexander Guthrie of Guthrie |
Haig | Alexander, Earl Haig |
Haldane | Martin Haldane of Gleneagles |
Hamilton | Alexander, Duke of Hamilton |
Hannay | David Hannay of Kirkdale and of that Ilk |
Hay | Merlin, the Earl of Erroll |
Henderson | Alistair Henderson of Fordell |
Hope | Sir Alexander Hope of Craighall Bt. |
Hunter | Madam Pauline Hunter of Hunterson |
Innes | Guy, Duke of Roxburghe |
Irvine | Alexander Irvine of Drum |
Irving of Bonshaw | Rupert Irving of Bonshaw |
Jardine | Sir William Jardine of Applegirth Bt. |
Johnstone | Patrick, Earl of Annandale And Hartfell |
Keith | James, Earl of Kintore |
Kennedy | David, the Marquess of Ailsa |
Kerr | Michael, the Marquess of Lothian |
Kincaid | Madam Arabella Kincaid of Kincaid |
Lamont | Peter Noel Lamont of that Ilk |
Leask | Jonathan Leask of that Ilk |
Leslie | James, the Earl of Rothes and Lord of Leslie |
Lennox | Edward Lennox of that Ilk |
Lindsay | Anthony, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres |
Lockhart | Ranald Lockhart of The Lee |
Lumsden | Gillem Lumsden of that Ilk |
Lyon | Simon, Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne |
*MacAlister | William MacAlester of Loup and Kennox |
MacAlpine | Michael T. McAlpin (Commander) |
MacBain | James McBain of McBain |
*MacDonald of Clanranald | Ranald Alexander Captain of Clanranald |
*MacDonald of Glengarry | Ranald Euan McDonald of Glengarry |
*MacDonald of Keppoch | Ranald MacDonald of Keppoch |
*MacDonald of Macdonald | Godfrey, Lord Macdonald, (High Chief of Clan Donald) |
*MacDonald of Sleat | Sir Ian MacDonald of Sleat Bt. |
*Macdonnell | Ranald Euan MacDonell of Glengarry |
Macdougal | Morag MacDougall of MacDougall |
Macdowell | Fergus MacDowall of Garthland |
Magillvray | Iain MacGillivray (Commander) |
MacGregor | Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor Bt. |
Macintyre | Donald Russell MacIntyre of Glenoe |
Machlaclan | Euan Maclachlan of Maclachlan |
Mackay | Hon Elizabeth Fairburn |
Mackenzie | John, Earl of Cromartie |
Mackintosh | John Mackintosh of Mackintosh |
MacLaine | Lorne Maclaine of Lochbuie |
MacLaren | Donald MacLaren of MacLaren |
Maclean | Niall Livingstone of Bachuil, Baron the Bachuil |
MacLean | Sir Lachlan MacLean of Duart and Morvern Bt. |
MacLennan | Ruairidh MacLennan of MacLennan |
**Macleod of Macleod | Hugh, Macleod of Macleod, (High Chief of Clan Leod) |
**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 | James Brodie Macpherson of Cluny |
Macphie | Ian Morris MacPhie (Commander) |
MacTavish | Steven MacTavish of Dunardry |
MacThomas | Andrew MacThomas of Finegand |
Maitland | Ian, Earl of Lauderdale |
Makgill | Ian, the Viscount Oxfuird |
Malcolm (MacCallum) | Robin Malcolm of Poltalloch |
Mar | Margaret, the Countess of Mar |
Marjoribanks | Andrew Marjoribanks of that Ilk |
Matheson | Sir Alexander Matheson of Matheson, Bt |
Menzies | Robertt Ronald Menzies of that Ilk |
Moffat | Madam Jean Moffat of that Ilk |
Moncreiffe | Peregrine Moncreiffe of that Ilk |
Montgomerie | Archibald, the Earl of Eglinton & Winton |
Morrison | Alasdair Morrison of Ruchdi |
Munro | Hector Munro of Foulis |
Murray | Bruce, the Duke of Atholl |
Napier | Francis, Lord Napier and Ettrick |
Nesbitt | Mark Nesbitt of that Ilk |
Ogilvy | David, Earl of Airlie |
Oliphant | Richard Oliphant of that Ilk |
Pringle | Sir Norman Pringle of that Ilk and Stichil Bt |
Ramsay | Simon, the Earl of Dalhousie |
Riddell | Sir Walter John Buchanan Riddell Bt |
Robertson | Gilbert Robertson of Struan |
Rollo | David, the Lord Rollo |
Rose | David Rose of Kilravock |
Ross | David Ross of Ross and Balnagowan |
Ruthven | Alexander, Earl of Gowrie |
Sempill | James, the Lord Sempill |
Scott | Richard, the Duke of Buccleuch |
Scott of Harden | Walter, Lord Plworth |
Scrymgeour | Alexander, the Earl of Dundee |
Shaw of Tordarroch | Iain Shaw of Tordarroch |
Sinclair | Malcolm, the Earl of Caithness |
Skene | Dugald Skene of Skene |
Stirling | Fraser Stirling of Cader |
Strachan | Rob Strachan (Commander) |
Strange | Timothy Strange of Balcaskie |
Stewart | Randolph, Earl of Galloway |
Sutherland | Alistair, the Earl of Sutherland |
Swinton | John Swinton of that Ilk |
Trotter | Alexander Trotter of Mortonhall |
Urquhart | Wilkins Urquhart of Urquhart |
Wallace | Andrew Wallace of that Ilk |
Wedderburn | David, Lord Scrymgeour |
Wemyss | Michael Wemyss of Wemyss |
Wood | Joseph John Hugh Fawcett Wood of Largo |