Clan Hannay
The Hannays are a Galloway family who held Sorbie in Wigtownshire for centuries. Their chief is styled Hannay of Kirkdale and that Ilk, and Sorbie Tower is now cared for by the Clan Hannay Society.
History
The Hannays are a Galloway family, and Sorbie in Wigtownshire is their old home. The Clan Hannay Society traces the name back to the twelfth century, when it appeared as A'Hannay or A'Hanna. The earliest Hannay to appear in the records is Gilbert de Sowerby, who witnessed a charter in 1328. A Gilbert de Hannethe, perhaps his father, is listed on the Ragman Roll of 1296, the year Edward I required Scottish landholders to swear fealty to him.
Like other native Galloway families, the Hannays are said to have sided with John Balliol rather than the Bruces. When Edward Bruce overran the region in 1308 they had to yield to him. By the mid-fifteenth century they appear to have held Sorbie itself. From there, tradition says, Hannays rode to Sauchieburn and Flodden, and went with James IV on pilgrimage to St Ninian's shrine at Whithorn.
Sorbie Tower belongs to the later part of that story. It is a tower house of the mid to late sixteenth century, dated by the Society to about 1550 to 1575, and it was probably built by Alexander Hannay, who held Sorbie from 1569 and was dead by 1612 or 1613. It was lived in until 1748 and is a ruin today.
The family's hold on Sorbie did not last. Feuding with neighbours such as the Murrays of Broughton cost money and lives, and in 1601 the Hannays were outlawed for their conduct towards the Murrays. The lairds of Sorbie were drained by it, and the tower eventually passed to the Stewarts.
The chiefly line moved to a younger branch. A third son of the Sorbie house bought the lands of Kirkdale, near Gatehouse of Fleet, in the sixteenth century. Our sources give two different years for the purchase, so we do not fix one. When the Sorbie branch died out, its arms were granted to the Kirkdale house without difference, making Kirkdale the chiefly line.
The modern clan is younger than the name. The Clan Hannay Society was founded in 1960. Major Ramsay Hannay of Kirkdale was a founder member and became its first chief, and the Lord Lyon gazetted him in 1982 as Hannay of Kirkdale and that Ilk. The Society was given the ruined Sorbie Tower in 1965, and it was listed as nationally important in 1972. The Society looks after it still.
Clan Hannay tartans
Names and reference numbers follow the Scottish Register of Tartans. Mills sell most setts in modern, ancient and weathered colourways. The pattern is the same; only the shades change.
HannayClan tartan · Register ref. 1587The Register says this sett was recorded in the Lyon Court Books on 19 December 1984 by Ramsay Hannay, chief of the name. It gives 1788 as the date, which fits the old kilt noted under Hannay Blue.
Hannay DressDress tartan · Register ref. 1589The Register says this came from a specimen said to have been supplied around 1980. It adds that this may be a dance pattern rather than an official dress tartan for the family.
Hannay BlueOther sett · Register ref. 1588A variant made in 2005 for a customer in Balquhidder. The Register says it swaps the white of the main sett for a muted pale blue. It describes the main Hannay sett as long established in south-west Scotland, from an old kilt worn by Commander Alex Hannay (1788 to 1844).
Get the kilt
When you order a kilt, ask for the tartan by its full name — for example “Hannay” — and say which colourway you want. “Modern” is dark and strong, “ancient” is lighter, “weathered” is muted. The sett is the same in each.
We are choosing retailers we trust and will list them here soon.
Wear the colours
Our own Hannay range is on its way: the name, the tartan and the motto on a heavyweight tee, a hoodie and a mug. About the shop.
Lands and seats
- Sorbie Tower. A sixteenth-century tower house at Sorbie, probably built by Alexander Hannay and now owned by the Clan Hannay Society.
Surnames
The clan name and its spellings
- Hannay
- Hanna
- Hannah
- Hanney
- Hana
- Hanay
- Hannie
- A'Hannay
- A'Hanna
“Associated” means the name appears in published sept lists for this clan. It does not prove descent, and many names are linked to more than one clan. Where your family lived is often the better clue.
Questions people ask
What is the Hannay tartan?
The main Hannay sett in the Scottish Register of Tartans is black, white, dark blue and yellow. It was recorded in the Lyon Court Books in 1984 and is dated 1788 in the Register. There is also a Hannay Blue variant from 2005 and a Hannay Dress.
What is the Hannay motto?
The motto is Per ardua ad alta, Latin for 'through difficulties to Heaven'.
Where are the Hannays from?
They come from Galloway in south-west Scotland. Their old seat was Sorbie Tower in Wigtownshire, and the chiefly line later passed to the Hannays of Kirkdale.
Which surnames can join the Clan Hannay Society?
The Society recognises Hannay, Hanna, Hannah, Hanney and Hana. It says that similar names such as Hannan and Hannahs are not eligible for membership.
Sources
- Hannay (ref. 1587) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Hannay Blue (ref. 1588) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Hannay Dress (ref. 1589) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Clan History — Clan Hannay Society
- The Arms of Sorbie — Clan Hannay Society
- Major Ramsay Hannay of Kirkdale and that Ilk — Clan Hannay Society
- Membership Policy for Surname Variations — Clan Hannay Society
- Sorbie Tower — Scottish Castles Association
Clan histories are contested and sources disagree. If you can correct something here with a source, write to hello@tartanflag.com. Last updated 5 October 2026.