First Woman State Trumpeter appointed

 Today Lord Lyon presented Gerry Goodall with her uniform, trumpet and banner in the presence of senior trumpeter Stewart Malcolm as the first female trumpeter of His Majesty’s State Trumpeters of Scotland. Congratulations to Gerry.

 

International Unicorn Day 2024

  Although our National Beast, the Unicorn is not very common in Scottish heraldry, here are two: the former Roxburgh District Council and Major Alan Edmonstoune Greenshields Leadbetter of Stobieside, killed aged 20 in action near Ypres in 1917.

Unicorns at Stirling Castle

 Unicorn Pursuivant (in levée dress) accompanied by Falkland Pursuivant Extraordinary attended Historic Scotland's Unicorn Weekend at Stirling Castle today.

Three new grants of arms

  The Lord Lyon has made three new grants of arms:

Arms of Dr Shona McLeod Gibson.

The artist was Gayle Page.

Blazon: three keys in pale wards downwards Or, on a chief enarched of the Second a scroll fesswise Proper tied with a ribbon Gules between two quills Argent. Volume 94 folio 96

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Arms of Paul Owen Gibson JP. 

The artist was Gayle Page.

Blazon: Gules three keys fessways in pale wards downwards Or, on a chief indented Or the scales of justice Azure between two bunches of grapes Proper.  Volume 94 folio 97

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Arms of  John Caldwell Bingham

The artist was Annette Read.

Blazon: Azure a bend cottised Or between a tree Proper in chief and three crosses pattée of the Second in base. Volume 94 folio 22

World Theatre Day

  March 27th is World Theatre Day, when the power of drama and the acting profession is celebrated. Here again are the arms of Scotland's most famous actor, Sir Sean Connery,  granted shortly before his death and painted by Yvonne Holton, Islay Herald.

 

International Day of Epilepsy

 Today is International Day for Epilepsy when we will see the symbol of the gentle butterfly in the Scottish Parliament. Heraldry is a celebration of the power of symbols to raise awareness and the chosen symbol for the day is a purple butterfly.

Not purple but still carrying a strong medical message. The crest of Castle Craig Clinic: a Scottish Argus butterfly (Erebia aethiops) head upwards and wings expanded Proper, each wing charged with a rod of Aesculapius in pale, the rod Gules and the serpent Vert. Volume 75 folio 80

One hundred years ago today

 One hundred years ago today, the Incorporation of Gardeners in Glasgow matriculated its coat of arms.

Argent on a mount in base, the Tree of Paradise, environed with a serpent, between Adam and Eve all proper, on a chief Azure a spade and rake in saltire between in the dexter the sun in his splendour and in the sinister the moon in her increment all proper.

Grant: March 25th 1924 volume 26 folio 29 

One hundred years ago today .....

 

Incorporation of Wrights in Glasgow

Parted per fess dovetailed Gules and Or, in chief an ancient Scots nail hammer and axe in saltire, surmounted of a wright's chisel edge downwards paleways, and in base the half length figure of Saint Kentigern affronté vested and mitred, his right raised in the act of benediction and having in his left hand a crozier all proper.

Grant: March 17th 1924 volume 26 folio 27

International Women's Day 2024

  The Lyon Office's contribution to this year's International Women's Day is two fine paintings from the Register:

The arms of Florence Douglas or Hooper, 1933.

Quarterly: first and fourth Argent a man's heart Gules crowned with an antique crown Or, on a chief azure three mullets of the First (for Douglas); second and third Azure a bend betwixt six cross-crosslets fitchée Or (for Mar); in the fess point a crescent chequy all within a bordure compony invected Gules and Argent charged alternately with crescents and mullets counterchanged.

And

Arms of Stella Grant-Duff-Ainslie or Ruthven-Stuart 1928:

Quarterly first and fourth Gules a lotus flower slipped between three antique crowns Or (for Grant); second, Or a cross flory Sable, on a chief Vert and Aesculapian rod between two lotus flowers slipped Or (for Ainslie); third, Vert on a fess dancetté Ermine between a buck's head cabossed in chief and two escallops in base, a cross flory between two boars' heads erased Or armed and langued Gules (for Duff); all within a bordure invected Azure.

Charles Burnett RIP

  We hear with great sadness of the death of Charles Burnett, an Officer of Arms for over forty years, most recently as Ross Herald. A man of enormous erudition, Charles was a great apostle of heraldry. We send our deepest condolences to his family. May his dear soul rest in peace.

Charles Burnett

Dingwall Pursuivant 1983

Ross Herald 1988

Ross Herald Extraordinary 2011-2015 

Lyon Office Seal Collection

 Dr David M. Bertie FHSS was presented with a hand embosser of his arms by Lord Lyon today in grateful thanks for his endeavours in cataloguing the Lyon Office seal collection over the past 4 years.

Some 12,000 seals (including some interesting subsidiary finds) have been identified, categorised and indexed to make them accessible to all visitors along with a retrieval system to ensure their continuing integrity.

Coronation Medal for Ailsa

  On the 9th February the Lord Lyon visited Clydeview Academy, Gourock to present the Head Girl, Ailsa Russell, with her Coronation Medal for the part she played in the Royal Honours of Scotland Service last July.

Arms of Clydeview Academy showing the Cloch Lighthouse.

The Hon. Adam Bruce Marchmont Herald, Lochlan Sweaton Head Boy of Balwearie High School, Ailsa Russell Head Girl of Clydeview Academy, The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon bearing the Crown of Scotland, Lord Bruce.

Coronation Medal for Lochlan

 On the 22nd February at Edinburgh Napier University the Lord Lyon presented Lochlan Sweaton with the Coronation Medal for his part in escorting the Scottish Crown at the Royal Honours Service. Prof Nolan the Principal and Lochlan's parents were in attendance.

Arms of Napier University

The Hon. Adam Bruce Marchmont Herald, Lochlan Sweaton Head Boy of Balwearie High School, Ailsa Russell Head Girl of Clydeview Academy, The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon bearing the Crown of Scotland, Lord Bruce.