another newbie clan ?

[elperrogrande]

i will keep it simple as i can. my great grandfather on my mothers side is a Sutherland born in Scotland in the county of ross . he was also a member of the Gordon highlanders and then the Canadian military after immigrating to Canada. my great grandmother on my dads side is was a Goudey and from my research was a sept of the Macpherson clan. would it be ok for me to choose my clan on my mothers side? i have been able to trace my Sutherland roots back to my great great great grand parents so far but all i have on my dads side is a name and i think they have been in Canada for many generations.

[Wareyin]

In my opinion, it is fine for you to wear a clan from your mother's side. My Scottish heritage comes down through my mother's family, and so I wear a tartan from my mother's side as well.

[Tarheel]

My thoughts.
Which family (thus clan) member in your past, makes your heart swell with pride and feel free to talk (even brag) about to others? That is the tartan I would wear. If you like the colors and pattern also, you win and the guessing is over.

[Steve Ashton]

Please remember that it is not name alone which is most important. The geographical area where your people are from is what is the most telling thing about which Clan your people may or may not have had an affiliation with.

A Clan would be from a geographical area but within that area, people could have many different names. And someone with the same name as a Clan could live somewhere totally different and not be part of the Clan at all. Name alone does not infer Clan membership.

Tartan tells the world - This is where my people are from, This is what makes me who I am today. If your people are of Scottish descent and have been in Canada for awhile, wearing the official Tartan of Canada, The Maple Leaf, may be just as appropriate as a Scottish Highland Clan Tartan. It tells the world - I am a Canadian of Scottish descent.

The vast majority of Scots, did not historically, and do not today, have a Highland Clan affiliation. It was the Romance period that gave rise to the idea of Septs and the idea that "I'm of Scottish descent so must find what Clan I belong to". There is no single, authoritative Sept list. Each Clan Chief can decide which names he or she accepts. And those names can and have changed.