About

This site exists to promote knowledge of the Clan Charteris. It is maintained by descendants of Clan Charteris.

The site is for anyone who is a Charteris, is descended from a Charteris, or is interested in the history of the clan.

What is a clan?

According the to Court of the Lord Lyon, a clan is the ‘family’ of a chief. It includes all who share the chief’s surname, the surnames of the septs of the clan, or ‘profess allegiance to that Chief and wish to demonstrate their association with the Clan’. The Court of the Lord Lyon says that a clan chief is the person entitled to the undifferenced arms of the family.

Of course, a modern clan is much more than this. The modern clan is a group of people sharing a common history and heritage and who wish to preserve it.

A ‘clan’ or a ‘family’?

The words ‘clan’ and ‘family’ are often used interchangeably in Scotland. There are some who use the term ‘clan’ to refer to Highland families and ‘family’ to refer to Lowland families. Whether Clan Charteris is a ‘clan’ or a ‘family’, it makes no difference to our history or the pride we can take in its better moments. You can read about the history of our clan here.