Filled at last, chief ’s job that was vacant for 350 years
Clan Buchanan finally get their man ... and he’s an aristocrat from Highlands
BY long tradition, the Clan Buchanan banner has featured at its heart a black lion rampant shedding tears of sorrow at the centuries-old passing of its last chieftain.
Since the death of John Buchanan without a male heir in 1681, his kinfolk have lamented the loss of their anointed leader as efforts to identify the next rightful holder of the title foundered.
But finally, the Buchanan lion can once more roar with pride after painstaking research has ended with his distant ancestor, a millionaire Highland aristocrat, being unveiled as the first new clan chief for 337 years.
Oxford University graduate John Michael Baillie-Hamilton Buchanan’s elevation to the head of the clan was announced yesterday on his 60th birthPRIVATE day and he will now be known as The Buchanan.
He first petitioned the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, which regulates Scottish heraldry, to assume the chiefship 20 years ago, but his claim was recognised only after years of genealogical research.
Married to Lady Paula Buchanan, the father of four is manager of Cambusmore sporting estate in Sutherland, but intends to immerse himself in the clan at home and abroad.
He said: ‘I am honoured and proud that my claim to the chiefship of Clan Buchanan has been upheld by Lord Lyon.
‘There has not been a chief for a very long time – over 337 years – but there is a thriving community of Buchanan clansmen, clanswomen and septs around the world. I look forward to meeting members of the clan, committing myself to clan matters in Scotland and attending some of the popular clan functions that take place overseas.
‘My family has been acknowledged as leaders of one of the principal septs, the Buchanans of Leny and Arnprior, for many years but we have also believed that we had a good case for the overall chiefship.’
He added: ‘It has been a long journey to prove our lineage.
‘We first approached the Lyon Court informally over 20 years ago and it has taken decades of genealogical research to back up our claim.’
Genealogist and fellow clan member Hugh Peskett spent more than ten years sifting through documents and lineage dating back to 1370 to satisfy the Lyon Court, and The Buchanan paid tribute to his kinsman for ‘his meticulous research and enduring tenacity’. Mr Peskett said he had long wanted to ascertain the rightful chief after his clanswoman grandmother first mentioned it to him 50 years ago.
He said: ‘As a clansman, it was absolutely fascinating to delve into the history and ancestry of one of the oldest clans in Scotland. Tracing hundreds of years
‘This has been a long journey’
of lineage and unpacking the secrets of the past is no mean feat.
‘My research took decades to compile and unequivocally confirms the chiefship claim.
‘This is a historic moment for Clan Buchanan and I am truly privileged to have played my part. I believe my grandmother would be incredibly proud of what we have achieved.’
The Clan Buchanan, whose historic seat was the now-ruined Buchanan Auld House in Stirlingshire, is one of the oldest in Scotland and can be traced to 1010. It has millions of members, including in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Jamaica.
They are represented by the world’s oldest clan body, the Buchanan Society, which was established in 1725 to support members in times of hardship.
The worldwide Clan Buchanan Society International has always flown a banner at Highland games featuring the tearful lion rampant, and it may have to revise the design to reflect this week’s more joyful news.
A ceremony is expected to be held in the new year to mark the new chieftain’s appointment.