Clan Lumsden
Lumsden is a Borders name from the manor of Lumsden near Coldingham, with later branches in Fife and Aberdeenshire. The clan has a chief, Lumsden of that Ilk, and its motto is Amor patitur moras.
History
The name comes from a place. Lumsden was a manor in the parish of Coldingham in Berwickshire, and the family took its surname from the land. The first people on record under the name are Gillem and Cren de Lumisden, who appear as witnesses to a Coldingham Priory charter dated somewhere between 1166 and 1182. Beyond that, the family's first generations are thinly documented.
Adam de Lumisden and his son Roger appear on the Ragman Roll, the list of Scots who were made to swear loyalty to Edward I of England in 1296. Many landholders on that roll had little choice, so it tells us who held land rather than where their hearts lay.
Gilbert de Lumsden was given a charter in 1329 for the lands of Blanerne, close to Duns, as a reward for backing the Bruce cause. Blanerne became the main seat of the senior line. Gilbert is also linked to the family crest, a white-tailed eagle, or erne, preying on a salmon, which still appears in the arms.
The family then spread. Gilbert's elder son carried on the Berwickshire line and the Fife branches, among them Airdrie, Innergellie, Rennyhill, Mountquhanie, Stravithie and Lathallan. His younger son Thomas received a charter in 1353 covering Drum and Conland in Fife, together with East and West Medlar in Aberdeenshire, later known as Cushnie. From him come the northern Lumsdens of Cushnie, Tillycairn, Clova and Auchindoir. So one name ended up in two quite different parts of Scotland.
Two members of the wider family are worth knowing. Sir James Lumsden of Innergellie, who lived from 1598 to 1660, was a soldier in the Thirty Years' War. Andrew Lumsden, a Jacobite, acted as secretary to Prince Charles Edward Stuart in 1745 and followed the Stuarts into exile in Rome.
The records show an odd gap. Lyon Register entries of 1672 are known for cadet branches such as Innergellie and Rennyhill, and the House of Lumsden Association is the family's society today. The present chief, Gillem Lumsden of that Ilk and Blanerne, is named by the Association as hereditary Chief of the Name and Arms of Lumsden and is listed by the Council of Scottish Clans & Associations. The Register records his tartan entries.
Clan Lumsden 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.
LumsdenClan tartan · Register ref. 6023The Register says the chief, Gillem Lumsden of that Ilk, recorded this thread count in the Lyon Court Books on 12 December 2005. It carries no earlier date.
Lumsden HuntingHunting tartan · Register ref. 2245Designed by Peter MacDonald around 1996 at the request of David Lumsden of Cushnie. The Register says it was meant as a quieter day tartan than the other Lumsden setts.
Lumsden GreenOther sett · Register ref. 6024Also recorded by the chief in the Lyon Court Books on 12 December 2005. The Register notes it is close to, but not the same as, the Lumsden Hunting sett.
Lumsden of ClovaOther sett · Register ref. 2246The Register says the thread count was supplied to the Scottish Tartans Society by Alex Lumsden of Toronto, and that it has been halved to show more of the sett. It is recorded as 1975.
Get the kilt
When you order a kilt, ask for the tartan by its full name — for example “Lumsden” — 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 Lumsden 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
- Blanerne Castle. In Berwickshire, near Duns. The Association links it to the family through Gilbert de Lumsden and the Blanerne lands.
Surnames
The clan name and its spellings
- Lumsden
- Lumsdaine
- Lumsdane
- Lummsdaine
- Lumsdon
- Lammestone
Names associated with Clan Lumsden
- Blanerne
- Blanerne: A territorial designation of the Berwickshire branch, Lumsden of Blanerne, rather than a common 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 Lumsden tartan?
The main Lumsden sett in the Scottish Register of Tartans is green, red, white, dark blue and yellow. The chief recorded its thread count in the Lyon Court Books in 2005. There are also a Hunting sett, a Lumsden Green and a Lumsden of Clova.
Does Clan Lumsden have a chief?
Yes. The chief is styled Lumsden of that Ilk, and the House of Lumsden Association names Gillem Lumsden of that Ilk and Blanerne as the present hereditary Chief of the Name and Arms of Lumsden. The Council of Scottish Clans & Associations also lists the clan.
What is the Lumsden motto?
The motto is Amor patitur moras, Latin for 'love endures delays'. The crest is a white-tailed eagle preying on a salmon.
Where does the Lumsden name come from?
It comes from the manor of Lumsden in the parish of Coldingham, Berwickshire. Later branches settled in Fife and Aberdeenshire.
Sources
- Lumsden (ref. 6023) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Lumsden Hunting (ref. 2245) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Lumsden Green (ref. 6024) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Lumsden of Clova (ref. 2246) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- History — House of Lumsden Association
- Lumsden — COSCA - Council of Scottish Clans & Associations
- Lumsden — Electric Scotland
- Sir James Lumsden 1598-1660 — House of Lumsden 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.