Clan Lamont
A Cowal clan whose chiefs held Toward and Ascog castles. In 1646 the Campbells captured both and killed many Lamont prisoners at Dunoon.
History
The Lamonts are a Cowal clan, from the hilly peninsula that lies between Loch Fyne and the Firth of Clyde. Their line is traced back to a man called Lauman, who appears in Cowal records in 1238. Cowal sits in Argyll, on the western side of the Firth of Clyde, and the clan's later castles at Toward and Ascog both looked out over that water, which gave the chiefs a sea-facing position.
For several centuries the Lamonts ranked among the leading families of Cowal. Their chiefs held Toward Castle, where the peninsula reaches the Clyde, and Ascog Castle, across the water on the Isle of Bute. The chiefship later passed to the Lamonts of Inveryne, who came to be styled Lamont of Lamont. The Campbells, their neighbours, grew steadily stronger in Argyll, and relations between the two clans were seldom easy.
The crisis came in 1646, in the Civil Wars. The Campbells, who wanted revenge for Lamont raids on their territory, laid siege to Toward and Ascog in May. By 1 June they had cannon in place against the castles. Two days later Sir James Lamont gave in, having been promised in writing that he and his people would be spared and left free, and he also talked the Ascog garrison into surrendering. The promise was broken.
The captives were carried to Dunoon and many were killed there. Sources disagree on the toll: some say roughly a hundred, others more than two hundred, women and children among them. Thirty-six gentlemen of the clan are said to have been hanged from a tree by the churchyard, and other victims were put into pits. Toward and Ascog were ruined. This is remembered as the Dunoon massacre, and Sir James spent years in prison.
Lamont power in Cowal never recovered. The chiefs withdrew to Ardlamont and stayed until the last of the clan lands were sold in 1893, by which time many Lamonts had dispersed. The clan now works through the Clan Lamont Society and its overseas branches, and has a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon. The ruins of Toward Castle can still be seen, and the name appears as Lamont, Lamond and other forms.
Clan Lamont 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.
LamontClan tartan · Register ref. 2033The Register gives no date for this sett and cites Thomas Smibert's The Clans of the Highlands of Scotland, published in 1850, as its source.
Lamont (1817 sett)Clan tartan · Register ref. 2035The Register links this sett to a cloth sealed in the Highland Society of London collection with the seal of Lamont of Lamont, dated 9 January 1817. It notes that the sett is close to Campbell of Argyll, apart from a white line through the green, and that W and A Smith in 1850 called it the correct Lamond tartan.
Get the kilt
When you order a kilt, ask for the tartan by its full name — for example “Lamont” — 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 Lamont 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
- Toward Castle. Lamont stronghold on the Cowal shore, besieged by the Campbells in 1646 and afterwards left in ruins.
- Ascog Castle. Lamont castle at Ascog on the Isle of Bute, given up in 1646 once Toward had fallen.
- Ardlamont. Home of the chiefs after 1646, until the last of the clan lands were sold in 1893.
Surnames
The clan name and its spellings
- Lamont
- Lamond
- Lemond
Names associated with Clan Lamont
- Lamondson
- Lammie
- MacLammie
- MacAlduie
- Toward
- Towart
- Burden
- Toward: Also the name of the Cowal lands and castle held by the chiefs.
- Burden: Listed among Lamont associated names in clan lists (also spelled Burdon); it is also a common English surname.
“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 Lamont tartan?
The Scottish Register of Tartans lists several Lamont setts. Two are shown here: the Smibert sett of 1850, and the 1817 sett tied to a cloth sealed with the seal of Lamont of Lamont. Both are blue-and-green setts.
What is the Lamont motto?
The motto is Ne parcas nec spernas, Latin for 'neither spare nor spurn'. The crest is a hand cut off at the wrist.
What surnames are associated with Lamont?
Lamond and Lemond are spellings of the name itself. Clan lists also give Lamondson, Lammie, MacLammie, MacAlduie, Toward and Towart as associated names. Some, such as Burden, are shared with other families.
Where is Clan Lamont from?
Cowal in Argyll. The chiefs held Toward Castle, and Ascog Castle on Bute, until the Campbells captured them in 1646. They then lived at Ardlamont until the last of the lands were sold in 1893.
Sources
- Lamont tartan (ref. 2033) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Lamont #3 tartan (ref. 2035) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Clan History — Clan Lamont Society
- Clan Chief — Clan Lamont Society
- Lamont — COSCA - Council of Scottish Clans & Associations
- Clan Lamont — Electric Scotland
- Clan: Lamont — Electric Scotland
- Clan Lamont arms and crest — scotsoflou.com
Clan histories are contested and sources disagree. If you can correct something here with a source, write to hello@tartanflag.com. Last updated 29 September 2026.