Happy St Andrew's Day

Happy St Andrew's Day! This year we are displaying the arms recorded in 1962 by the Scottish National Committee of Ophthalmic Opticians. Usually nowadays the saltire is only allowed, as here, for a national organization. Quite a spectacle.

Blazon: Erminois on a fess Azure between in chief a Pictish spectacle device (that is to say two annulets joined by a barrulet Azure) and in base an eagle volant Azure claws and tail retracted armed and beaked Gules, a St Andrew's Cross Argent. 

St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh

The Ecumenical Friends of St Cuthbert’s Church Edinburgh invited the Lord Lyon to address their lunch time meeting on the 22nd November. The address was on “Following the Family Name in Scots Heraldry.

New Grant of Arms

The Lord Lyon has granted arms to Dannie James Abel of Australia. The artist is Annette Reed and the blazon reads:
Argent, a saltire engrailed Azure charged with an eagle volant talons extended Or, on a chief of the Second three lions heads couped each holding in its mouth a key fesswise of the Third.

Lyon at the Heraldry Society

On the 21st November the Lord Lyon gave the "Mark Elvins Memorial Lecture " to the Heraldry Society in Burlington House, London. The title of the lecture was "The Scottish Clans and Scots Heraldry....a splash of tartan ." Garter attended.

Lyon in India

The Lord Lyon on a private visit to the Agape School and Orphanage in Hyderabad, India was delighted to see the School's adopted Coat of Arms sewn on to the pupils shirts. The 211 pupils are HIV+ and orphans. They all valued the identity the Arms gave the school.

Morgan Academy, Dundee

On the 9th November the Lord Lyon attended the Rededication Service of Morgan Academy’s Roll of Honour.  The original book was lost in a major fire in 2001 which destroyed  the school building and its artefacts .The School’s Roll of Honour for the Fallen in World War II contains 102 names. . The school’s arms were proudly on display at the service.

The blazon reads: Azure a reindeer's head erased Or langued and gorged with a collar Gules chained and between three spear-heads points upwards Argent embrued, the whole within a bordure also Argent charged with three squares of the first.

Snawdoun at the Edinburgh Academy War Memorial

Snawdoun attended the re-dedication of the War Memorial at the Edinburgh Academy on which two of her great uncles (kia WWI) and her grandfather (dia WWII) are commemorated.  The young cadets, in particular, were fascinated by the Dead Man's Pennies given in memory of her great uncles.  They were designed by Edward Carter Preston and given to the next of kin of every man or woman who died in WWI

Lyon talks in Brechin

On the 6th November the Lord Lyon gave a talk on “Aspects of Scottish Heraldry” to the Friends of Brechin Townhouse Museum. The company was honoured by the attendance of the Earl of Dalhousie and some members of the Heraldry Society of Scotland.

Lyon Presents Letters Patent

The Lord Lyon presented Mr JR Velez and his wife and daughter with the Letters Patent on the occasion of his grant of arms.