Clan Grant Leaflet

W
e have allwonderedwho our ancestors
were, andthought about the history of
previous generations. Your past lies in the glorious
exploits ofthe people ofClan Grant.
Meet some honourable, brave
andhard-working people...
The surname Grant was adopted about 11 75 - its basic
meaning is "Gritty" - and the Grants have always shown
"true grit".
" Stand Fast Craig Elachie!" is the slogan of the clan. The
ancesters of the Grants were in Strathspey during the reign
of Malcolm III, and their main task was to ensure that the
beacon atop Craigelachie (by Aviemore) was lit to warn the
King - and the rest of lowland Scotland - if danger threatened
from the North.
Our Clan Crest - an image of a
burning hill proper - represents the
burning beacons atop Craigelachie.
Members of the clan would gather in
order to organize for an attack or
defence and they would assemble
for battle in a distinctive red and green plaid.
Later, the green and black hunting tartan of the Grants
became famous as the 'Black Watch' tartan used by the
regiment that had a majority of Grants among its original
men.
Our Motto: Stand Fast reflects our attitude towards any
attack from the North.
The current Clan Chief is The Rt. Hon. Sir
James Grant of Grant, The 6th Lord Strathspey.
Lord Strathspey's Coat of Arms
Castle Grant, Grantown-on-Spey
Castle Grant, near Grantown-on-Spey was the seat of the
Chief of Clan Grant. The Grants of Glen Urquhart are
associated with the famous Castle Urquhart overlooking
Loch Ness, and was owned by Clan Grant between 1 509 and
1 91 2. Ballindalloch Castle is owned by the MacphersonGrants and The House of Monymusk is owned by another
Grant family.
your own ancestors.
Join Us!
T
he Clan Society relies on the interest and support of all
members of our Great Clan for its ongoing success. We
invite YOU to become a member and enjoy the benefits of
the Society, whilst helping to promote our heritage amongst
this generation of Grants and the next. Learn more about
your lineage and the legends of the clan and the part that
your ancestors played in the turbulent centuries of Scottish
history.
Membership of the Clan Grant Society is open to anyone with
an interest in the Clan and its Heritage. You can download an
application form or send a request via our website at
www.clangrant.org
The cover photo shows current Clan member Chic Grant's Father,
Chae Grant (second from right) working on deer fencing at Glen Doll
in the Highlands during the late 1 940s and early 50s.
O
Welcome to
The Clan Grant
Society ofthe UK
ur aim is to cultivate a spirit offriendship
among members ofthe Clan andto help
them to keep in touch with one another. Many of
us have left our native Scotlandanddispersed
into allcorners ofBritain. The Clan Grant
Society brings us together again to share in our
important common ancestry andour rich,
exciting history.
The Clan Centre
The Magazine
T
he home of our Society
is the Old Church at
Duthil, close to Grantownon-Spey. This imposing
listed building has been
renovated by the Society
and it is used as a Clan
Centre and Museum.
Important and valuable
weapons and artifacts of the
clan are held in storage by
the National Museums of
Clan Centre, Duthil
Scotland, and we have
begun to display some of these items in the Centre. A stronger
membership will ensure that these pieces of our heritage can
be viewed by everybody.
T
he Clan Grant Society Magazine Standfast is named
after the Society motto and issued to members twice
yearly. It is a chance for members to exchange news and
views with the rest of the Clan and each edition is packed
with articles and ancedotes about all aspects of the Clan;
historical info, reports on Clan Gatherings, details of upcoming events, interesting Grants, photos, favourite recipes
etc.
Clan March to the Abernethy Highland Games
The Society has a welcome tent where members from the
UK and overseas can meet each other and share information
relating to the clan and its history.
In the evening, a formal kilt and black tie evening meal and
ceilidh is hosted at a local hotel, and the AGM is held on
Sunday morning at the Clan Centre at Duthil, for all members
who have not overdone it the night before!
There are also Spring Weekends hosted each year in the
North of England and International Gatherings are
sometimes held for our overseas visitors.
The Clan Tent at the Games
Clan Gatherings
The AGM is held at the Clan Centre
T
he Annual Clan Grant Gathering is held over a
weekend in August to coincide with the Abernethy
Highland Games. The Games are a great family day out and
gives clan members a chance to meet their kinsfolk for a wee
dram.
A memorable feature of the day is the Clan March, where
members march to the opening ceremony of the Games in
traditional dress behind a band of massed pipes and drums.
The Website
The website of the UK Clan Grant Society can be found at
www.clangrant.org There is lots of info about the society;
clan events, photo gallery, geneology advice and extensive
clan history pages. There are also links to the other overseas
clan grant societies.
Clan DNA Project
T
here is a Clan DNA project running very sucessfully,
based in the USA. Already many people have made
contact with distant relations they had no idea existed and
others have been amazed and delighted to find they are
blood relatives of the Chief! We hope to extend this project to
cover female lines too.
Family Trees
Associated with this we are helping members with their family
trees - quite often members can learn from each other and
we facilitate this. We are also collecting such trees centrally.
History
Our research continues to uncover new - or old, but well
hidden - facts all the time allowing us a better unnderstanding
of our past. We have also been collecting Grant music,
whether for pipes, fiddle or clarsach, which we hope to record
and play more often.