Quote Originally Posted by davidlpope View Post
I've recently looked into this and it may be more difficult than first appears. I can document Scottish descent, but am not eligible for a grant of Scottish arms. One must be directly descended in the male/ surname-bearing line and have solid documentation to prove it. For those whose ancestors recently immigrated, this works out quite well. For those of us whose ancestors came over very early, solid documentation can be a problem. Likewise, for those of us in the US who bear English-descended surnames, etc., the Lord Lyon has no jurisdiction, as I understand it.
Broadly speaking you are correct. Lyon will only grant to those persons who bear the same surname as their closest Scottish born ancestor. There may be ways around this (each case is weighed on its own merits) but it can be very difficult to claim arms through female descent.

However, all is not lost. For persons of Scottish (or Irish or English) ancestry in the USA who do not otherwise qualify for arms in one of the above listed jurisdictions, the best option is to apply to the Bureau of Heraldry in South Africa for a grant of arms.