Scottish Clan Chiefs

[Ind_Duke]

I understand that the Clan Chieftaincies work in a different way compared to the peerage. But I guess some of us are ignorant about this system when compared to the royalty or peerage. Can anybody answer the following questions regarding the Scottish Clan Chiefs?

1) How many Clans are there which have a separate Chief?

2) What is the relevance of the Chiefs in this day?

3) Are the Chiefs recognized by the Queen or the Government?

4) Is there any website or online resource that lists all the Scottish Clan chiefs from the beginning till now?

5) How does the succession work? Is it agnatic or male preference primogeniture?

6) Do different clans have different methods of succession? Is there any law that governs the succession to the chieftaincies like the peerage?

7) I have noticed that some Clan Chiefs are also among the hereditary peers. How many peers or baronets are also Clan Chiefs? 

8) Is there any interest among the normal Scottish populace regarding the Clan Chiefs? Do the Scots know who their Clan Chief is? Or is it just in the purview of a miniscule crowd like this group?

[marquess]

In answer to question 2, yes the Queen does recognise them. Most of the Scottish dukes are head of their clans, Argyll (Campbell), Montrose (Graham). The other questions are  beyond the scope of my knowledge as I have only ever paid a cursory interest in them. 

[Jonathan]

They are officially recognised and, relevant to the Peerage, if there is a clan of a particular name, the name can not be re-used as a peerage title. One example was when Sir Ian Blair (former Met Police Commissioner) was made a life peer, he was unable to become simply Lord Blair, despite there never having been a Lord Blair, as there is a Clan Blair. (Instead he chose Lord Blair of Boughton.)

[Henry W]

Like others I cannot give much detailed knowledge, though some answers can be found in Wikipedia pages:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_clan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_clans  (this addresses your Q1 & Q7)

Q3 - Official recognition of Clans and their Chiefs is given by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, a government official.

Q5/6 - I do not know with any certainty, but at least some Clan Chiefships can follow the female line - see Clan Sutherland, where the late 24th Countess of Sutherland succeeded as Clan Chief after she dropped the triple-barrel of her surname and used just "Sutherland". Her eldest son similarly has the surname Sutherland and is clan chief, whilst her younger children have taken their father's surname "Dawson". 

It would appear that to be a Clan Chief  in some Clans you must have just the clan name as your surname (as well as Clan SUTHERLAND above, Clan INNES has not been allowed to recognise the Duke of Roxburghe as its Chief as his surname is INNES-KER), however in others this is not the case, e.g. Clan LYON has the Earl of Strathmore & Kinghorne (surname BOWES-LYON) as its titular chief.

[colinp]

You may find some information on the website of the Lord Lyon -  index (courtofthelordlyon.scot) 

Also the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs -    The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (clanchiefs.org.uk) although it would appear that some Clan Chiefs have withdrawn from the Council.  If you go to Guidance and scroll down to "The search for clan chiefs" there is some interesting information on how a clan can be recognised.

There are a number of female Clan Chiefs listed under Members although I'm not sure whether all the chiefs listed are recognised by Lord Lyon.  The most famous female clan chief was probably Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod (born at 10 Downing St).  A list of recognised chiefs is included in Whitaker's Almanack  - not sure when that will appear again as it's under new ownership.

Presumably there is some popular interest in the Clans and their history and traditions given the number of Clan Associations that are in existence.

The Duke of Buccleuch appears now to go by the surname Scott so maybe he dropped the Montagu-Douglas- to be recognised as Chief of Clan Scott?

[malcolm davies]

Colin,

          Yes I understand that is the reason.A minor corrections-Scott is a name,not a clan as they come from Lowland Scotland and the Clans are all highlands and islands.Innes is likewise a name.

[malcolm davies]

Here is a link to a map of clans and names:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_clans#/media/File:Scottish_clan_map.png

[Ind_Duke]

Thank you all for the answers..

[dou...@googlemail.com]

Clan maps are representative of a particular time in history.  Boundaries shifted as clans acquired or lost their lands.
The Wikipedia map is undated so of little value beyond giving a general impression.