More on Septs

[ctbuchanan]

Agree, well said, MacSpadger. I'm first generation US, as I've noted in previous posts and my Scottish cousins think our whole approach to Clans a bit odd. That being said I run the Clan tent for the Buchanans at games all over New England. And many people come to the highland games to "find their clan". It is a very delicate matter on how to handle that. On the one hand one of our primary reasons for being there is to help people explore their Scottish roots and heritage. But on the other hand we have to be careful not to mislead them either. And the whole concept of the sept vs. the clan and the origins of names can be quite a maze to sort out.

And you are quite right that some people will latch on to their "Clan" with fearsome determination. And sad to say, I've had many people come into the tent with a kilt purchased from a less than scrupulous vendor here or in Scotland only to find they were led down the wrong path for whatever reason.

The reality is that short of a full blown genealogy or a Scottish grandmother laying down the law, most people here can never really be certain.