Livery Colours and Plant Badges
Livery Colours are the two predominant colours found in a chief or clan’s coat-of-arms. One is an actual colour (called tincture) such as Gules (Red), Sable (Black), Azure (Blue), Purpure (Purple), or Vert (Green). The second ‘colour’ is a metal as represented by Or (Gold or Yellow) or Argent (Silver, Grey, or White). These colours were displayed by clansmen, often in the form of a ribbon cockade or rosette upon their bonnets (Tam O’Shanter.)
A Plant Badge is a sprig of vegetation which was likewise displayed upon the bonnet as a sign of clan allegiance. Many of these plants are readily available. If not, there are reasonably well-made artificial versions available for sale on the web.
This list will be updated from time to time as new information is revealed. You will note that a number of clans do not appear to possess a clan plant badge. The thistle is the badge for the kingdom of Scotland and will certainly be a worthy substitute for those lacking an individual clan badge.
- A -
Abernethy (Or, Gules; Rue Flower) Agnew (Argent, Gules; Rue Flower) Anderson (Argent, Gules; Juniper) Anstruther (Argent, Sable; Olive) Arbuthnott (Argent, Azure; —) Armstrong (Argent, Azure; Wild Thyme) Auchinleck (Argent, Sable; Wheat)
- B -
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Baillie (Or, Azure; —) Bain (Or, Azure; —) Baird (Or, Gules; —) Balfour (Argent, Sable; —) Bannatyne (Argent, Gules; —) Bannerman (Argent, Gules; —) Barclay (Or, Azure; Mayflower) Baxter (Argent, Gules; —) Beaton (Or, Azure; —) Bell (Or, Azure; —) Bethune (Or, Azure; —) Beveridge (Or, Azure; —) Binning (Argent, Sable; —) Bissett (Argent, Azure; —) Blair (Argent, Sable; —) Borthwick (Argent, Sable; Two Roses) Boswell (Argent, Sable; —) Boyd (Argent, Azure; Laurel) Boyle (Or, Gules; —) Brodie (Argent, Gules; Periwinkle) Broun (Or, Gules; —) Bruce (Or, Gules; Rosemary) Buchan (Argent, Sable; Sunflower) Buchanan (Or, Sable; Bilberry, Oak, or Birch) Burnett (Argent, Vert; Holly)
- C -
Calder (Or, Sable; —) Caldwell (Or, Gules; —) Callender (Or, Sable; —) Cameron (Or, Gules; Cranberry, Crowberry, or Oak) Campbell (Or, Sable; Fir Clubmoss or Bog Myrtle) Carmichael (Argent, Azure; —) Carnegie (Argent, Azure; —) Carruthers (Or, Gules; Furze) Cathcart (Argent, Azure; —) Chalmers (Or, Gules; —) Charteris (Argent, Azure; —) Chattan (Or, Azure; Red Whortleberry) Cheyne (Argent, Azure; —) Chisholm (Or, Gules; Fern) Cochrane (Argent, Gules; Sea Holly) Cockburn (Argent, Gules; —) Colquhoun (Argent, Sable; Hazel or Dogberry) Colville (Argent, Sable; —) Congilton (Or, Gules; —) Craig (Or, Sable; —) Cranston (Argent, Gules; Strawberries) Craufurd (Argent, Gules; Boxwood) Crichton (Argent, Azure; —) Crosbie (Or, Gules; —) Cumming (Or, Azure; Pussy Willow, Cumin, or Wheat) Cunningham (Argent, Sable; —)
- D -
Dalmahoy (Argent, Azure; —) Dalrymple (Or, Azure; —) Dalzell (Argent, Sable; —) Darroch (Argent, Azure; —) Davidson (Argent, Azure; Boxwood or Red Whortleberry) Dennistoun (Argent, Sable; —) Dewar (Or, Gules; —) Donnachaidh (Argent, Gules; Bracken, Fern, or Heath) Douglas (Argent, Azure; Rue) Drummond (Or, Gules; Holly or Wild Thyme) Dunbar (Argent, Gules; Juniper) Duncan (Or, Gules; —) Dundas (Argent, Gules; —) Dunlop (Argent, Gules; —) Durie (Argent, Azure; —)
- E -
Edmondstone (Or, Gules; —) Elliott (Or, Gules; White Hawthorn) Elphinstone (Argent, Sable; —) Erskine (Argent, Sable; Red Rose)
- F -
Fairlie ( Or, Gules; —) Falconer (Or, Gules; White Rose) Farquharson (Or, Gules ; Scots Fir, Red Whortleberry, or Foxglove) Fenton (Argent, Gules; —) Ferguson (Or, Azure; Little Sunflower, Poplar, or Pine) Fleming (Argent, Gules; —) Fletcher (Argent, Sable; —) Forbes (Argent, Gules; Broom) Forrester (Argent, Gules; —) Forsyth (Argent, Gules; Forsythia Flower) Fothringham (Argent, Gules; —) Fraser (Argent, Azure; Yew) Fraser of Lovat (Argent, Azure; Strawberry) Fullarton (Argent, Gules; —)
- G -
Galbraith (Argent, Gules; —) Galloway (Or, Gules; —) Gardyne (Argent, Sable; Apple Blossom) Gartshore (Or, Gules; —) Gayre (Argent, Sable; Laurel) Ged (Argent, Azure; —) Gibsone (Or, Gules; Bilberry) Gillean (Argent, Vert; Holly) Gladstains (Argent, Sable; —) Glas (Or, Gules; —) Glen (Argent, Sable; —) Glendinning (Argent, Sable; —) Gordon (Or, Azure; Ivy) Graham (Or, Sable; Laurel) Grant (Or, Gules; Pine) Gray (Argent, Gules; —) Grierson (Or, Gules; Bluebell) Gunn (Argent, Gules; Juniper or Roseroot) Guthrie (Or, Gules; —)
- H -
Haig (Argent, Azure; —) Haldane (Argent, Sable; —) Haliburton (Or, Gules; —) Halkerston (Or, Gules; —) Halket (Or, Gules; —) Hall (Or, Gules; —) Hamilton (Argent, Gules; Oak and Acorn) Hannay (Argent, Azure; Periwinkle) Hay (Argent, Gules; Mistletoe) Henderson (Argent, Gules; Cotton Grass) Hepburn (Argent, Gules; —) Heron (Or, Gules; —) Herries (Argent, Sable; —) Hog (Argent, Azure; —) Home (Argent, Vert; Broom) Hope (Argent, Azure; —) Hopkirk (Or, Gules; —) Horsburgh (Or, Gules; —) Houston (Or, Gules; —) Hunter (Or, Vert; Stem of Thrift) Hutton (Or, Gules; —)
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- I -
Inglis (Argent, Azure; —) Innes (Argent, Azure; Great Bulrush) Irvine (Argent, Vert; Holly)
- K -
Keith (Argent, Gules; White Rose) Kelly (Or, Sable; —) Kennedy (Argent, Gules; Oak) Kerr (Argent, Gules; Kerr Knot) Kincaid (Or, Gules; —) Kinloch (Or, Gules; —) Kinnaird (Or, Gules; —) Kinnear ( Or, Gules; —) Kinninmont (Argent, Azure; Oak) Kirkcaldy (Or, Gules; —) Kirkpatrick (Argent, Azure; —)
- L -
Laing (Or, Gules; —) Lammie (Or, Gules; —) Lamont (Argent, Azure; Crabapple Tree, Trefoil, or Dryas) Langlands (Or, Gules; —) Learmonth (Or, Sable; Red Rose) Leask (Argent, Sable; —) Lennox (Argent, Gules; Red Rose) Leslie (Argent, Azure; Rue Flower) Lindsay (Argent, Gules; Lime Tree) Little (Argent, Sable; —) Livingston (Argent, Gules; Grass of Parnassus/Bog Star Flower) Lockhart (Argent, Azure; —) Logan (Or, Gules; Furze) Logie (Or, Gules; —) Lumsden (Argent, Azure; Hazel) Lundin (Or, Gules; —) Lyle (Or, Gules; —) Lyon (Argent, Azure; —)
- M -
MacAlister (Or, Gules; Heather) MacAlpine (Argent, Vert; Pine) MacArthur (Or, Azure; Wild Thyme) MacAulay (Argent, Gules; Pine or Cranberry) MacBain (Or, Azure; Boxwood or Red Whortleberry) MacBrayne (Or, Gules; Cranberry) MacCallum (Argent, Azure; Rowan Berries) MacCorquodale (Argent, Gules; —) MacCulloch (Argent, Gules; —) MacDonald (Or, Gules; Heather) MacDonald of Clanranald (Argent, Gules; Heather) MacDonald of Keppoch (Or, Gules; White Heather) MacDonald of Sleat (Or, Gules; Heather) MacDonell of Glengarry (Or, Gules; Heather) MacDougall (Argent, Azure; Bell Heather or Cypress) MacDowall (Argent, Azure; Oak) MacDuff (Or, Gules; Boxwood or Red Whortleberry) MacEwen (Or, Azure; —) MacFarlane (Argent, Gules; Cranberry or Cloudberry) MacFie (Or, Azure; Pine, Oak, or Crowberry) MacGill (Or, Gules; —) MacGillivray (Or, Azure; Boxwood or Red Whortleberry) MacGregor (Argent, Azure; Pine) MacIain (Or, Sable; Heather) MacInnes (Or, Azure; Holly) MacIntosh (Or, Gules; Red Whortleberry or Bearberry) MacIntyre (Or, Gules; White Heather)
MacIver (Or, Gules; —) MacKay (Argent, Azure; Great Bulrush or Heather) Mackenzie (Or, Azure; Holly or Deer’s Grass) MacKerrell (Or, Gules; —) MacKie (Argent, Sable; —) Mackinnon (Argent, Vert; Pine or St John's Wort) Mackintosh (Or, Gules; Red Whortleberry, Bearberry, or Boxwood) Maclachlan (Or, Gules; Rowan or Lesser Periwinkle) Maclaine of Lochbuie (Argent, Gules; Bilberry, Bramble, Holly, or Blackberry Heath) MacLaren (Or, Gules; Laurel) MacLea (Or, Gules; Flower of the Grass of Parnassus) Maclean (Argent, Gules; Crowberry or Holly) MacLellan (Or, Sable; —) MacLennan (Or, Sable; Furze) MacLeod (Argent, Azure; Juniper) Macleod of the Lewes (Or, Azure; Red Whortleberry) MacMillan (Or, Sable; Holly) Macnab (Argent, Sable; Stone Bramble or Heather) Macnaghten (Argent, Azure; Trailing Azalea) MacNeil (Or, Vert; Dryas/Avens or Trefoil) Macpherson (Or, Azure; White Heather, Boxwood, or Red Whortleberry) Macquarrie (Argent, Vert; Pine) Macqueen (Argent, Sable; Boxwood or Red Whortleberry) Macrae (Argent, Azure; Club Moss) MacTavish (Argent, Gules; Snowberry) MacThomas (Argent, Gules; Snowberry) Maitland (Or, Gules; Honeysuckle) Malcolm (Argent, Azure; Rowan Berries) Mar (Or, Azure; —) Marjoribanks (Or, Gules; —) Masterton (Or, Gules; Oak) Matheson (Or, Gules; Broom or Holly) Maule (Argent, Gules; —) Maxtone (Or, Gules; Honeysuckle) Maxwell (Argent, Sable; Holly) Meldrum (Argent, Sable; —) Melville (Argent, Gules; —) Menteith (Or, Sable; Laurel) Menzies (Argent, Gules; Menzies' Heath or Ash) Mercer (Or, Gules; —) Middleton (Or, Gules; —) Moffat (Argent, Sable; —) Moncreiffe (Argent, Gules; Oak) Moncur (Or, Gules; —) Monteith (Or, Sable; Laurel) Montgomerie (Or, Azure; —) Monypenny (Argent, Azure; —) Morrison (Argent, Gules; Driftwood) Mouat (Argent, Sable; —) Moubray (Argent, Gules; —) Mow (Or, Gules; —) Muir (Argent, Azure; Olive) Muirhead (Or, Gules; —) Munro (Or, Gules; Common Club Moss) Murray (Argent, Azure; Butcher’s Broom or Juniper)
- N -
Nairn (Or, Gules; —) Napier (Argent, Gules; Heather) Nevoy (Argent, Sable; —) Newlands (Or, Gules; —) Newton (Or, Vert; —) Nicolson (Or, Gules; Juniper) Nisbet/Nesbitt (Argent, Sable; Oak) Norvel (Argent, Sable; —)
- O -
Ochterlony (Argent, Azure; —) Ogilvy (Argent, Gules; Whitethorn, Hawthorn, or Evergreen Alkanet) Oliphant (Argent, Gules; Bulrush) Orrock (Or, Gules; —)
- P -
Paisley (Argent, Azure; —) Paterson (Argent, Vert; Laurel) Pennycook (Or, Gules; —) Pentland (Or, Gules; —) Peter (Argent, Vert; Laurel) Pitblado (Or, Vert; —) Pitcairn (Argent, Gules; —) Pollock (Or, Vert; —) Polwarth (Argent, Gules; —) Porterfield (Or, Sable; Palm) Preston (Argent, Sable; —) Primrose (Or, Vert; Primrose) Pringle (Argent, Sable; —) Purves (Argent, Azure; —)
- R -
Rait (Or, Sable; —) Ralston (Argent, Azure; —) Ramsay (Argent, Sable; Blue Harebell) Rattray (Or, Azure; —) Renton (Argent, Vert; —) Riddell (Or, Gules; —) Robertson (Argent, Gules; Bracken) Rollo (Or, Azure; —) Rose (Or, Sable; Wild Rosemary) Ross (Argent, Gules; Juniper or Bearberry) Rossie (Argent, Gules; —) Russell (Argent, Gules; —) Rutherfurd (Argent, Gules; —) Ruthven (Argent, Gules; —)
- S -
Sandilands (Argent, Azure; —) Schaw (Or, Azure; —) Seton (Or, Gules; Yew) Scott (Or, Azure; Blaeberry or Bilberry) Sempill (Argent, Gules; —) Shaw (Or, Gules; —) Sinclair (Argent, Sable; Urze Whin or White Clover) Scrymgeour (Or, Gules; Rowan) Skene (Or, Gules; —) Skirving (Or, Gules; —) Somerville (Or, Azure; —) Spalding (Or, Azure; —) Spens (Or, Gules; —) Spottiswood (Or, Gules; —) Stewart (Or, Azure; Oak or Thistle) Stewart of Appin (Or, Azure; Oak or Thistle) Stirling (Argent, Sable; —) Strachan (Or, Azure; —) Straiton (Or, Gules; —) Strange (Or, Gules; Grapes) Stuart of Bute (Or, Azure; Oak or Thistle) Sutherland (Or, Gules; Butcher's Broom or Cotton Sedge) Swinton (Or, Sable; —) Sydserf (Argent, Azure; —) Symmers (Argent, Vert; —)
- T -
Tailyour (Argent, Sable; —) Tait (Argent, Gules; —) Tennant (Argent, Sable; —) Thompson (Argent, Gules; Snowberry) Trotter (Argent, Gules; —) Troup (Argent, Vert; —) Turnbull (Argent, Sable; —) Tweedie (Argent, Gules; —)
- V -
Vans (Argent, Gules; —)
- W -
Walker (Or, Gules; —) Walkinshaw (Or, Gules; —) Wallace (Argent, Gules; Oak) Wardlaw (Or, Azure; —) Watson; Argent, Azure; Oak) Wauchope (Or, Gules; Wheat) Wedderburn (Argent, Gules; Beech) Weir (Argent, Azure; —) Wemyss (Or, Gules; —) Whitefoord (Or, Gules; Wheat) Whitelaw (Or, Sable; —) Wishart (Argent, Gules; —) Wood (Or, Azure; Oak)
- Y -
Young (Argent, Sable; —)