Clan Dunbar: A Legacy of East Lothian, Mochrum and Readiness
Introduction
Clan Dunbar is a historic Lowland Scottish clan rooted in East Lothian, Dunbar Castle, Dumfries and Galloway, Mochrum Castle, and the powerful medieval line of the Earls of Dunbar and March.
The clan motto is:
“In Promptu”
“In readiness.”
The clan crest is:
A horse’s head Argent, bridled and reined Gules.
The current chief is recorded as Sir James Michael Dunbar, 14th Baronet of Mochrum, recognised as Chief of the Name and Arms of Dunbar. Clan Dunbar International Society also identifies Sir James Michael Dunbar as Chief of the Name, with the modern clan organisation becoming international in 2010.
This article explores the history, people, heritage, tartans, crest, motto, castles, battles and modern legacy of Clan Dunbar.
Chapter I: Origins of Clan Dunbar
The name Dunbar is territorial in origin. It comes from Dunbar in East Lothian.
The first element, dun, is commonly interpreted from Gaelic and Brittonic roots meaning a fort or fortified hill. ScotlandShop explains the name as connected with a fortress, while the historic town and castle of Dunbar gave the family its enduring identity.
Historic forms and associations include:
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Dunbar
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Dunbare
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Dunbarr
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Dunbar of March
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Dunbar of Mochrum
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Dunbar of Northfield
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Dunbar of Hempriggs
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Dunbar of Durn
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Dunbar of Both
Clan Dunbar rose through the medieval Earls of Dunbar and March, one of the great noble families of the Scottish Borders and eastern Lowlands. Their power was based on strategic castles, borderlands, royal connections and control of routes between Scotland and England.
The Dunbars were not a Highland clan of island galleys and mountain glens. They were a great Lowland and Marcher clan, shaped by castles, earldoms, frontier politics, war with England and noble service to Scotland.
Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands
Clan Dunbar’s historic heartland includes:
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East Lothian
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Dunbar
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Dunbar Castle
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The Scottish Borders
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The Marches
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Mochrum
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Dumfries and Galloway
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Moray
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Caithness
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Northfield
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Hempriggs
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Durn
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Both
The historic seat of the early chiefs was:
Dunbar Castle
The modern chiefly seat is:
Mochrum Castle
Modern clan summaries identify Dunbar Castle as the original historic seat of the chiefs and Mochrum Castle as the seat of the present chiefs, the Dunbars of Mochrum.
Dunbar Castle was one of the most important strongholds on Scotland’s east coast. It guarded a strategic position overlooking the North Sea and the road between Edinburgh and the English border. Whoever held Dunbar held a key gateway into Scotland.
Mochrum Castle, in Dumfries and Galloway, represents the later chiefly line and the survival of the Dunbar name after the medieval power of the Earls of Dunbar declined.
Chapter III: Important People of Clan Dunbar
The Earls of Dunbar and March
The medieval Earls of Dunbar, later also associated with the title Earl of March, were among the most powerful nobles in Scotland.
Their lands and castles gave them immense influence in the eastern Borders and Lowlands. As Marcher lords, they stood close to the danger zone between Scotland and England, where loyalty, military strength and political judgement were essential.
Patrick, Earl of Dunbar
Several powerful Dunbar earls bore the name Patrick. The earls played major roles in Scottish politics, shifting alliances and border defence.
Their position was never simple. They stood between crown and frontier, Scotland and England, loyalty and survival.
Black Agnes of Dunbar
One of the most famous figures connected with Clan Dunbar is Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar, better known as Black Agnes.
In 1338, she defended Dunbar Castle against an English siege with extraordinary courage. ScotsConnection notes that Dunbar Castle was defended against the English by Black Agnes, wife of the 9th Earl.
Her defence of Dunbar became one of the legendary episodes of medieval Scottish resistance.
George Dunbar, Earl of March
The later Earls of March were deeply involved in the political struggles of medieval Scotland. Their power made them valuable allies and dangerous opponents to the Scottish crown.
The fall of the old earldom changed the future of the clan, but the Dunbar name continued through other branches.
Sir James Dunbar of Mochrum
In 1694, Sir James Dunbar of Mochrum was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia. This established the baronetcy that would later become central to the modern chiefly line.
Sir James Michael Dunbar of Mochrum
The current chief is:
Sir James Michael Dunbar
14th Baronet of Mochrum
Chief of the Name and Arms of Dunbar
Modern clan references identify him as the present chief, following the death of Sir Jean Ivor Dunbar in 1993.
Chapter IV: Castles, Strongholds and Historic Sites
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle is the great historic stronghold of Clan Dunbar.
It was held by the Earls of Dunbar from the 12th century. After the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Edward II of England took shelter there after fleeing the battlefield. In 1338, it was famously defended by Black Agnes against an English siege. Today, only ruins remain.
Dunbar Castle is one of the most important castle sites in the clan’s history because it symbolises both noble power and military endurance.
Mochrum Castle
Mochrum Castle is the seat of the modern chiefs of Clan Dunbar.
The Dunbars of Mochrum became the chiefly line after the decline of the older earls. Modern references identify Mochrum Castle as the seat of the current chiefs.
Dunbar, East Lothian
The town of Dunbar is essential to clan identity. Its harbour, castle ruins and coastal landscape place the clan within Scotland’s east-coast defensive story.
The Scottish Marches
The Marches were the borderlands between Scotland and England. The Dunbars, as Earls of March, were deeply connected to this dangerous frontier world.
Dumfries and Galloway
Through the Dunbars of Mochrum, the clan’s modern story is also tied to Dumfries and Galloway, linking the name to south-west Scotland as well as East Lothian.
Chapter V: Battles, Wars and Clan Events
Clan Dunbar’s history is shaped by border warfare, castle defence, royal politics and survival through changing noble fortunes.
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Dunbars lived through the Wars of Scottish Independence, when loyalty to Scotland, England, Balliol, Bruce or personal survival could become dangerously complicated.
Their castles and lands made them central to the military geography of the conflict.
Edward II at Dunbar — 1314
After the Scottish victory at Bannockburn in 1314, Edward II fled the battlefield and took shelter at Dunbar Castle before escaping by sea.
This moment shows the strategic importance of Dunbar Castle. It was not merely a local fortress. It was a critical east-coast escape route and military stronghold.
Black Agnes and the Siege of Dunbar — 1338
In 1338, Black Agnes, Countess of Dunbar, defended Dunbar Castle against an English siege.
Her courage, wit and refusal to surrender became legendary. She is one of the great female defenders in Scottish history and one of the most memorable figures connected with the Dunbar name.
The Rise of the Dunbars of Mochrum
After the power of the old earls declined, the Dunbars of Mochrum became increasingly important.
In 1694, Sir James Dunbar of Mochrum was created a baronet, and this line eventually became the chiefly line of the clan.
Recognition of the Modern Chiefship
The modern Dunbar chiefship was confirmed after a legal process that passed through the Lord Lyon, the Court of Session in Edinburgh and finally the House of Lords. Modern clan summaries note that the chiefship was established after this celebrated case, with Sir Jean Ivor Dunbar recognised before the title passed to Sir James Michael Dunbar.
This makes Clan Dunbar’s modern history unusually important in the legal and heraldic world of Scottish clan chiefship.
Chapter VI: Clan Crest, Motto and Badge
Clan Crest
The Dunbar crest is:
A horse’s head Argent, bridled and reined Gules.
In simpler terms, this is a silver horse’s head with red bridle and reins.
ScotClans gives the Dunbar crest as a horse’s head, Argent, bridled and reined, Gules.
The horse suggests:
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Readiness
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Nobility
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Movement
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Military service
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Border riding culture
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Controlled strength
The red bridle and reins suggest discipline, command and preparedness.
Clan Motto
The clan motto is:
“In Promptu”
This means:
“In readiness.”
The motto fits the crest perfectly. A bridled horse is ready to move. A border family must always be ready: ready for war, ready for defence, ready for diplomacy, ready for sudden danger.
Modern clan summaries consistently give In Promptu as the Dunbar motto.
Clan Badge
A widely agreed plant badge for Clan Dunbar is not as consistently recorded as those of many Highland clans.
For accuracy, the strongest Dunbar symbols are:
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The horse’s head crest
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The motto “In Promptu”
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Dunbar Castle
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Mochrum Castle
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The Dunbar tartans
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The memory of Black Agnes
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The old earldom of Dunbar and March
Chapter VII: Clan Tartans
Clan Dunbar has several tartans associated with the name.
Dunbar Tartan
The Dunbar tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans as a Clan/Family tartan. The register identifies the designer as the Sobieski Stewarts in its Dunbar search results.
This connects the tartan with the 19th-century tartan revival and the controversial but influential Vestiarium Scoticum tradition.
Dunbar 1840 Tartan
The Scottish Register of Tartans also records Dunbar – 1840 as a district tartan, with Wilsons of Bannockburn identified as designer.
This shows that there is both a clan/family Dunbar tartan and a district-related Dunbar tartan tradition.
Dunbar Hunting Tartan
The Scottish Register also lists Dunbar Hunting as a Clan/Family tartan designed by Tom Dunbar.
Clan Dunbar International Society states that the Dunbar Hunting tartan was designed by Tom Dunbar, dated 1 January 1986, approved by the Chief of the Name, Sir James Dunbar of Mochrum, and recorded in 2000.
The Meaning of Dunbar Tartan Today
For modern Dunbar descendants, tartan represents:
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East Lothian heritage
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Mochrum and Dumfries and Galloway
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The motto “In Promptu”
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The horse’s head crest
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Black Agnes and Dunbar Castle
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Lowland and Border identity
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Family pride and diaspora connection
The tartan gives the Dunbar name a visible and wearable expression of Scottish heritage.
Chapter VIII: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions
Clan Dunbar represents a proud Lowland and Border Scottish identity built on readiness, castle power, noble rank and endurance.
Its story includes:
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Territorial origins at Dunbar
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Dunbar Castle
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The Earls of Dunbar and March
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The Scottish Marches
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Edward II’s flight after Bannockburn
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Black Agnes and the Siege of Dunbar
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The Dunbars of Mochrum
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The Baronetcy of Mochrum
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The horse’s head crest
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The motto “In Promptu”
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Dunbar tartans
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A living recognised chief
Associated branches include:
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Dunbar of Mochrum
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Dunbar of Northfield
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Dunbar of Hempriggs
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Dunbar of Durn
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Dunbar of Both
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Dunbar Earls of Dunbar
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Dunbar Earls of March
Clan references identify these as important branches of the Dunbar name.
Chapter IX: Clan Dunbar Today
Today, Clan Dunbar remains a recognised Scottish clan with a living chief.
The current chief is:
Sir James Michael Dunbar
14th Baronet of Mochrum
Chief of the Name and Arms of Dunbar
He is also described in modern clan summaries as the 39th Hereditary Chief of the Name and Arms of Dunbar.
Modern Clan Dunbar identity can be found through:
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Clan Dunbar International Society
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Family history research
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Tartan wearing
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Scottish heritage events
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Visits to Dunbar Castle and Mochrum country
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Study of the Earls of March
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Genealogy projects
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Diaspora communities across the world
The clan stands today as a symbol of readiness, Lowland strength, Border nobility, castle endurance and Scottish family pride.
Chapter X: Legacy of Clan Dunbar
The story of Clan Dunbar begins with a fortress on the east coast of Scotland.
From that stronghold came a name tied to earls, marches, castles, sieges, borderlands and royal politics.
Its crest, the bridled horse’s head, speaks of readiness and controlled power.
Its motto gives the clan its voice:
In Promptu — In readiness.
That phrase captures the Dunbar spirit: alert, prepared, disciplined and ready to answer danger.
From Dunbar Castle to Mochrum, from Black Agnes to the modern chiefship, from East Lothian to descendants across the world, Clan Dunbar continues to carry its history forward.
Its legacy is written in tartan, castle ruins, horse crests, border memory, legal recognition, family records and the pride of those who still honour the name.
Tartan Time Machine Closing Paragraph
At Tartan Time Machine, we bring Scotland’s past into the present by exploring the clans, castles, battles, kirkyards, legends and forgotten stories that shaped the nation.
Clan Dunbar is one chapter in that greater story — a story of East Lothian roots, Dunbar Castle, Black Agnes, Mochrum chiefs, horse crests, tartans and the proud Lowland call to remain always in readiness.
Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:
www.tartantimemachine.com