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Join us at The Clan and Family Gathering in Edinburgh on 25 July 2009 ... and the first Durie Family Gathering on Sunday 26th

New Durie DNA Project unveiled

Rossend Castle Single Malt Whisky available

Durie Coats of Arms (see below or click here for early Arms, the badge and tartan)

Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as "Durie arms".

By their very nature, Arms can only belong to one person at a time. There is no such thing as "family Arms" or a "Clan crest" and no-one has the right to display Arms in Scotland without having these granted and registered by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, essentially the senior judge in the Scottish court of Heraldry, and with quasi-regal powers.

Not only is it illegal to bear Arms that have not been specifically awarded by the Lord Lyon, it is also illegal to invent Arms or to use existing or invented Arms.

No two people can bear the same Arms, but as heritable property they are inherited by the petitioner's heir, normally his eldest son, and by his eldest son in turn. The father's Arms can be matriculated in favour of the son upon death and succession, but this is not automatic - the matriculation process must be gone through before there is "achievement" of Arms.

Younger children inherit only a right to matriculate the Arms with a slight difference added, and they must petition separately for this to be done.

On the other hand, most individuals of Scottish descent, and who are "worthy and virtuous" can be granted Arms. These are based on the Arms of the chief of that name, even when there is distant or no blood relationship.

Scottish Arms are therefore more traditional and use mediaeval charges and patterns of charges, unlike English and other Arms. Scottish heraldry differs in many other respects from English and other European heraldries.

The earliest recorded Durie Arms

These are Arms recorded in various armorials. There are others, and armorial seals. Today, only two Duries are armigers (bear Arms) as shown on the right.

Arms of Andrew Durie of Durie

Arms of Lt-Col Raymond Varley Dewar Durie of Durie (matriculated in 1988) and now to pass to Andrew Durie of Durie CBE DL

Blazon:

Azure, a chevron Argent between three crescents Or

Crest: a cresent Or

Motto: Confido (I trust)

Supporters: Two savages proper wreathed about two loins all proper

Sir David Durie KCMG

These Arms, matriculated in 2003 after Sir David retired as Governor of Gibraltar, show a variant of the classic Durie chevron and crescents, with allusions to the rock of Gibraltar and a motto which reflects both the rock and Christian faith.

The Durie Family can help individuals and companies with Scottish Durie connections achieve a Coat of Arms. 
For details please click here.

The Badge or "Crest"

While most Duries will not have Arms, we can all wear the Chief's badge to indicate our fealty and our membership in the family. These are derived from the crest that tops the helmet in the chief's Arms - in this case, a crescent. Note that badges, which are normally made of metal, are not coloured. They can be worn as cap badges (the original use) and as kilt-pins, brooches, belt buckles etc.

The Durie tartan

This tartan is not ancient (very few are).

It was designed by Christian Dewar-Durie, sister of the chief.

The set (basic pattern) is registered with The Scottish Tartans Society (TS Number: TS2228) as the official tartan of Durie of Durie.

The background is related to the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders' regimental tartan, the yellow facings from the mess dress and burgundy for the family's French connections.

Lengths of cloth in this tartan will be available from the shop and it may be possible to organise a kilt-making and dress-making service, depending on demand.