Farquharson Clan

Farquharson Clan Crest: On a chapeau, a demi lion holding a sword in the dexter paw.

Farquharson Clan Motto: Fide Et Fortitudine (By fidelity and fortitude).

Farquharson Clan History:
The Farquharsons trace their origins from Farquhar, son of Alexander Ciar, 3rd Shaw of Rothiemurcus in Strathspey. The early history of Clan Shaw is intimately entangled with that of Clan Mackintosh.

Farquhar's son Donald married Isobel Stewart, heiress of Invercauld and he was appointed Keeper of the King's Forests of Braemar.  Their son, Finlay Mor (Mac Fionlaigh Mor), the first recognised Farquharson of Invercauld, was killed carrying the Royal Standard at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547.
He was outstandingly tall, and his alleged grave at Inveresk, in East Lothian, close to the battlefield, is known as “the long Highlandman's grave.”

Through the nine sons of his two marriages sprang the Farquharsons of Allanquoich, Achriachan, Brouchdearg, Craigniety,  Inverey, Finzean, Monaltrie, Tullochcoy, Whitehouse, and Balmoral. In 1595, they joined their neighbours Clan Chattan, acknowledging the Chief of Mackintosh as their High Chief.
Farquharsons fought alongside the Marquis of Montrose in 1644 and with Viscount Dundee in 1689, notably John Farquharson of Inverey, ' The Black Colonel', who burned Braemar Castle to deny possession to the English.

Farquharson of Invercauld joined Prince Charles Edward Stuart at Perth in 1745, but later changed sides claiming that he had been forced to support the Prince by the 6th Earl of Mar, his feudal superior. However,  his daughter, wife of the Mackintosh chief, restored the clan's honour by calling out Clan Mackintosh in her husband's absence, and later by sheltering the Prince at Moy, an action for which she was later imprisoned.

On the death of Alexander Farquharson of Invercauld in 1936, the arms were confirmed on his daughter Myrtle, but she was killed in an air raid during the Second World War.  The Chiefship then passed to her nephew, Captain Alwyn Compton Farquharson of Invercauld.

Henry Farquharson was founder in the 18th century of the school of navigations in Moscow, Russia.
David Farquharson (1840-1907) and Joseph Farquharson (1847-1935) were accomplished landscape painters.

Places of Interest:
Braemar Castle, Braemar. Aberdeenshire. Built by the Earl of Mar in 1628, but passed to the Farquharsons in 1732.
Cairn na Cumline (Cairn of Remembrance), south west of Balmoral, Aberdeenshire. Rallying place for the Clan Farquharson.
Invercauld House, Braemar, Aberdeenshire. Seat of Chief of Clan Farquharson.

Surname distribution throughout Scotland: The highest concentrations of the Farquharson name occur in Aberdeenshire (includes all of the historic counties of Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire and part of Banffshire), Moray (including most of historic Banffshire), Aberdeen City, Highland (includes the historic counties of Caithness, Inverness-shire, Nairnshire, Ross and Cromarty and Sutherland), Perth and Kinross (Perthshire and Kinross-shire), Dundee City and Angus.

Associated family names (Septs): Barrie, Bowman, Christie, Christison, Christy, Coates, Coats, Coutts. Cromar, Farquhar, Ferries, Findlay, Findlayson, Finlaison, Finlay, Finlayson, Gracie, Grassick, Greusach, Hardie, Hardy, Kellas, Kerracher, Lyon, Macartney, MacCaig, MacCardney, MacCartney, MacCuaig, MacEaracher, MacErchar, MacErracher, MacFarquhar, MacHardie, MacHardy, Mackerchar, MacKerracher, MacKindlay, MacKinlay, MacKinley, Paterson, Reiach, Reoch, Riach.

Clan Farquharson membership certificates.