Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopaedia, 3rd Edition

Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopaedia, Third Edition

What’s New in the Third Edition:

• Fully revised, updated, and expanded to reflect the significant changes in clan research and historical understanding since the Second Edition’s release over two decades ago.

• Detailed histories and heraldic badges for 346 clans and families, including nearly 200 new crest designs and hundreds of fresh illustrations, many specially commissioned for this volume.

• Over 500 pages with a completely redesigned layout, allowing three times more content than the Second Edition.

• Extensive new research by the original authors, enhanced by the contributions of leading academics in Scottish history.

• New and updated scholarly essays on key aspects of clan life, bringing all previous articles up to date.

This monumental reference has been 12 years in the making, with contributions from a distinguished team of historians and scholars. It presents newly unearthed material—painstakingly verified and edited—to create the most authoritative and comprehensive single-volume work on the Scottish clans and families.

Scotland’s historical legacy is uniquely defined by its clan system. While clans no longer serve as a societal structure, the global fascination with them endures. The Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopaedia answers the ongoing demand for detailed, accurate, and accessible information about the great clans and families of Scotland.

Lavishly illustrated and thoroughly researched, this edition offers:

• The evolution of the clan system and clan law

• Detailed insights into Highland dress, tartan, and heraldry

• A vast collection of appendices, bringing together rare and previously unpublished materials

Compiled and edited by George Way of Plean and the late Romilly Squire, with oversight from a team of respected specialists, this edition significantly expands upon the foundation laid by the 1994 and 1998 editions.

Major Improvements Over Previous Editions:

• The second edition covered 148 clans with chiefs; this edition expands to 346 entries, combining clans and armigerous families in a single alphabetical sequence.

• Word count has increased from 250,000 to over 800,000, offering unprecedented depth.

• The number of heraldic crests and illustrations has risen from 148 to over 350, including depictions of clan seats, castles, and other key family-related visuals.

• All entries and appendices have been reorganized, rewritten, and cross-referenced, resulting in a seamless and intuitive reference tool.

Endorsement:

Dr. Joseph J. Morrow, QC, The Rt Hon. Lord Lyon King of Arms, writes:

"I welcome the publication of the long-awaited Third Edition of the Clan and Family Encyclopaedia: a work that represents years of additional research and scholarship by a greatly enhanced and highly qualified editorial team. The introductory essays have been revised, updated and extended in scope and depth and the number of full entries has significantly increased. More coats of arms and crest badges have been illustrated than ever before."

Whether you're a scholar, a genealogist, or simply someone with Scottish ancestry, the Third Edition of the Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopaedia is an indispensable resource.