Introduction
Although the term "clan crest" is most commonly used, it is a misnomer. There is in fact no such thing as a clan crest. Although it is possible to purchase "clan crests", and the crest badge itself can be owned by a clan member, the heraldic crest and motto of the badge belong to the chief alone and never the clan member. The crest and motto within and are the sole property of the chief, and clan members are only permitted to wear the badge in a show of allegiance to their clan and clan chief. It is illegal for a clan member to misappropriate the chief's crest and motto in acts such as decorating silverware and inscriptions on signet rings and jewellery. In short, coats of arms, crests and mottos are the personal property of one person only, and in terms of "clan crests" they are the property of the clan chief.
Crest badges are specifically used for people to wear, and are made out of silver or white metal. When illustrated, crest badges should only be printed in monochrome, and should not coloured. Women are entitled to wear the crest badge as a brooch, generally worn on the left side, and as such the crest badge may be of gold.
There are established clans which do not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. In such cases, clan members usually wear a crest badge which contains the crest and motto of the last known chief. However, there are instances where such clans wear crest badges which are based upon the arms of someone who was never a recognised clan chief. For example, Clan Macfie, which current does not have a chief, uses a crest badge which is derived from the arms of one of the first two Macfies who registered Arms at Lyon Court. Another clan —Clan MacEwen— whose chiefly line has been untraced since the 15th century, has a crest badge containing the crest and motto of a baronet bearing the surname McEwen. Oddly enough, the McEwen Baronets may not have any actual link with the main Clan MacEwen at all. Another instance is the crest badge of Clan MacInnes. This crest badge is based upon a modern coat of arms of an armigerous clan member, not a clan chief.
According to the English officers of arms John Martin Robinson and Thomas Woodcock, crests have played a relatively insignificant role in Scottish heraldry when compared to English heraldry. In consequence many Scottish armigers, including clan chiefs, have comparatively similar crests to one another. Because of this, crest badges can sometimes show an obvious association with another clan. For example, clans associated with the Chattan Confederation share very similar crest badges bearing wild cats. Clans associated with Clan Campbell —Clan Campbell of Breadalbane, Clan MacIver and Clan MacTavish— use a crest badges which contain similar crests and mottoes that allude to that of the chief of Clan Campbell.
Read more about this topic: Scottish Crest Badge
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“Such is oftenest the young man’s introduction to the forest, and the most original part of himself. He goes thither at first as a hunter and fisher, until at last, if he has the seeds of a better life in him, he distinguishes his proper objects, as a poet or naturalist it may be, and leaves the gun and fish-pole behind. The mass of men are still and always young in this respect.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)