Clan Forbes Society
Clan Forbes Heritage
Variations, Septs, and Associated Families
You do not need to have a surname of “Forbes” to be considered a part of Clan Forbes! Clan Forbes also welcomes everyone who has an ancestor that was a Forbes, a birth surname that is a spelling variation such as Fobes or Forbush, descendants of one of the traditional “septs” of Forbes such as Fordyce or Watts, and anyone who has an interest or spiritual connection to Clan Forbes. Learn more here.
Coats of Arms of the House of Forbes
The Lord Lyon grants coats of arms as "heraldic achievement" to a single person and this my be inherited by the eldest son. Use of the specific coat of arms by any other person is illegal in Scotland – as one well-known American company discovered. Members of the House of Forbes have many Coats of Arms registered by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. See more here.
While the notion of “clan tartans” has been a relatively recent notion, our Celtic ancestors have been weaving a distinctive tartan cloth for millennia. The Scottish Register of Tartans lists 12 Forbes tartans. See all tartans here.
Druminnor Castle was the original Castle Forbes and was the seat of the Chiefs of Clan Forbes for over 500 years until it was sold by the 16th Lord Forbes in 1770. Putachie House was later expanded and is now called Castle Forbes. Craigievar Castle is is now one of the most popular properties owned by the National Trust for Scotland. See more here.
Warriors, politicians, artists, financiers, naturalists, clergy -- member of the House of Forbes have impacted their worlds in many ways over the centuries. Here are just a few examples.
Forbes Heritage Sites: Aberdeen
For centuries, Clan Forbes has been a major influence in the City of Aberdeen. Some of the sites that are closely connected to the Clan include the old Tolbooth, Crabstane Boundary Stone, St. Machar’s Cathedral & Graveyard, Forbes of Newe Obelisk, and University of Aberdeen Sir Duncan Rice Library. Learn more here.
Forbes Heritage Sites: Edinburgh
Most Clan Forbes Heritage Sites are spread throughout Aberdeenshire. However, the city of Edinburgh is also home to many sites of interest, as well. Sites include Scottish National Gallery and Scottish National Portrait Gallery, National Museums Scotland, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Church of St John the Evangelist, Old Parliament House, St. Giles Cathedral, and Greyfriars Kirkyard. Learn more here.
Forbes at the National Gallery of Scotland
The House of Forbes is well represented in the prints, portraits, and photographs displayed and archived at the National Gallery of Scotland (on the Mound) and the National Portrait Gallery (1 Queen Street) in Edinburgh. Here are just a few examples.
The House of Forbes has been recognized for its military prowess and leadership skills since the 13th century. This tradition continues into the 20th and 21st century as we salute the Forbes in the Military. Here are just a few examples.
Forbes Women
For the first few centuries of the House of Forbes, women brought land, money, and influence to their husbands, fathers, and brothers. However, in the past few centuries, Forbes women have come into their own in the arts, sciences, military, politics and literature. Meet some of the Forbes women here.
Forbes, Whisky, and Robert Burns
The House of Forbes has been inextricably bound up with whisky and has achieved fame in that regard with the help of no less than the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns! This all started as the result of Forbes of Culloden’s becoming a target for the Jacobites. Learn more here.