In the great ancestry game, you will learn quickly that your surname is only the tip of the genetic iceberg. Here are 10 simple but interesting facts which will introduce you to the world of heraldry in Scotland.

1. Consider this. If your genuinely MacDonald forebear had found himself isolated in the heart of Campbell country 10 generations ago, had married Jean Campbell, and seen his sons and grandsons married to Campbell girls, you could find yourself today with a great many Campbell ancestors, all of whom were named Campbell - except you. So, don't assume an association to just one clan - or that you don't belong to a clan at all. Read this blog if you want to learn more. 
2. The science of heraldry evolved from the 12th century as a system of identification. Painted on their shields and banners, Clans could be recognised at war. The same device was repeated on the shirt and worn over the armour hence the term 'Coat of Arms'.
3. By custom of the Law of Arms, members of the Clan like other dependers  of the chief or noble group, enjoy the privilege of displaying the chiefs livery, but in a particularly Scoto-Highland form namely, the chiefs crest, motto with a strap and buckle.  
4. Prefixed to each Clan crest is (almost invariably) an evergreen plant, the Clan's war cry, generally the name of the prominent mountain in the Clan district or a motto associated with some gallant deed which shed lustre on the Clan. Often these plants are 'shared' by many Clans.
5. These elements are heraldic property and protected by law in Scotland.
6. A person does not need to be a member of a Clan society to be able to wear a belted crest badge. Any Clan member has a right to it, not just Clan societies and Clan society members although there are guidelines which you might adhere to, if you wish to avoid a faux pas.
7. Today many people who do not bear a clan surname do wear crest badges of their mother's Clan.
8. Anyone who offers their allegiance to a Clan chief is considered a member of a Clan (unless the chief decides to refuse that person's allegiance).
9. Clan membership goes with the surname and sept.
10. It is an honour to bear arms and anyone entitled to do so should be proud to use their heraldry in any situation in which it can discreetly and tastefully ornament and identify their allegiance.