I really like "Gilmore's" comments in this thread. I have been doing research on my family genealogy for about 10 years now. I spent most of that time gathering information and evidence from my family alone. The past year I dove head first into heavy research.

I have disproved many things my family has previously thought and that I was told when I was a teenager. I have discovered that my family "Williamson's" in no way had any tie to clan Gunn. However there is another family line that was from Caithness Scotland (Gunn Territory) that has some marriages to some Gunn's. I have no problem wearing that tartan.

As a result of my research, I have come up with some pretty solid connections to other clans with other names in my families genealogy. Some of which are: Sutherland, Buchanan, Dunlop, Forbes, Gordon, and Stewart. Most of the areas my family has genetic ties to are Aberdeen, Caithness, Glasgow (Lanark), and Kildonan (Sutherland).

When you do the research, your findings will always be way more interesting than just going with the popular routine.

example: My Williamson ancestors From Glasgow were potters, and I have recently learned through contacting the Scottish Pottery Society that they owned and operated "Wellington Pottery" in Glasgow during the 19th century. According to the Pottery society, Wellington pottery is very rare and they have very few pieces. They were members of the Barony parish during the time of famous minister Norman McLeod's time as the minister of that parish. They also met at Glasgow Cathedral before the Barony Kirk was built. I have also learned that some of my ancestors were members of the Scottish Rite. Not to mention that my Great great grandfather was in the Royal Scots Greys during the Crimean War.

This is solid information, not the: well my surname is on the sept list of clan "blah blah blah."