Clan Gray: A Legacy of Fowlis, Kinfauns and the Anchor Fast
Introduction
Clan Gray is a historic Lowland Scottish clan and noble house rooted especially in Angus, Perthshire, Fowlis, Longforgan, Castle Huntly, Broughty Castle, and Kinfauns Castle.
The clan motto is:
“Anchor Fast Anchor”
The clan crest is commonly given as:
An anchor in pale Or.
Clan Gray is generally described today as an armigerous clan, meaning it has heraldic and family identity but no current chief recognised by the Court of the Lord Lyon. Modern clan summaries list Gray as armigerous and give the crest as a golden anchor with the motto “Anchor Fast Anchor.”
This article explores the history, people, heritage, tartans, crest, motto, castles, noble titles and modern legacy of Clan Gray.
Chapter I: Origins of Clan Gray
The surname Gray is usually understood as a territorial or nickname surname with several possible roots.
One tradition links the family to Norman or French origins, possibly from a place called Gray or Croy in France. Scottish clan-history summaries often state that the name came into Scotland through families of Norman background who settled and rose through landholding and royal service.
Historic spellings and forms include:
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Gray
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Grey
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Grai
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Graye
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de Gray
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de Grey
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Gray of Fowlis
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Gray of Kinfauns
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Gray of Broxmouth
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Gray of Longforgan
In Scotland, the Grays became strongly associated with Angus, Perthshire and Fowlis. They were not a Highland clan of mountain glens and island galleys, but a Lowland noble house, shaped by castles, peerage, royal service, sheriffdoms, landholding and political influence.
The family rose to formal noble status when Andrew Gray of Fowlis was created Lord Gray in the 15th century. Clan Gray therefore belongs to the world of medieval Scottish barons, castle-builders, court politics and Lowland territorial power.
Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands
Clan Gray’s historic associations include:
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Fowlis
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Angus
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Perthshire
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Longforgan
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Castle Huntly
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Broughty Castle
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Kinfauns
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Broxmouth
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Forfarshire
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Dundee
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The Scottish Lowlands
Important Gray seats and strongholds include:
Fowlis Castle
Castle Huntly
Broughty Castle
Kinfauns Castle
Andrew, 1st Lord Gray, inherited the lands of Fowlis through his mother, Janet Mortimer, and was later granted royal licence in 1452 to build a castle on his Longforgan lands. This became Castle Huntly, one of the major Gray strongholds.
The family later became strongly connected with Kinfauns Castle in Perthshire. John, 11th Lord Gray, married Margaret Blair, heiress of Kinfauns, and later generations inherited and rebuilt the estate.
The Gray landscape is a Lowland one: fertile estates, strategic castles, coastal defence, sheriffdoms, royal roads, and political influence between Perth, Dundee and Angus.
Chapter III: Important People of Clan Gray
Sir Andrew Gray of Broxmouth
Sir Andrew Gray of Broxmouth was an important early figure in the rise of the family. Through marriage and inheritance, the Grays gained stronger territorial standing and moved toward noble rank.
Andrew Gray, 1st Lord Gray
Andrew Gray, son of Sir Andrew Gray of Broxmouth and Janet Mortimer, became 1st Lord Gray of Fowlis. He inherited the lands of Fowlis, was involved in royal service, and was one of the hostages for King James I of Scotland. He was released in 1427, accompanied Princess Margaret of Scotland to France in 1436, and was created an ambassador to England in 1449.
He later received royal licence in 1452 to build Castle Huntly on his Longforgan lands.
The Lords Gray
The title Lord Gray became one of the defining marks of the clan’s noble status.
Through the Lords Gray, the family held important lands, influence and offices in Scotland. They were part of the Lowland aristocratic world rather than a Highland warrior confederation.
John Gray, 11th Lord Gray
John, 11th Lord Gray, succeeded his father in 1741. He married Margaret Blair, heiress of Kinfauns, and held offices including Sheriff Principal of Forfarshire and Lord Lieutenant of Perthshire.
This marriage strengthened the Gray connection with Kinfauns, one of the family’s most important later estates.
Francis Gray, 14th Lord Gray
Francis, 14th Lord Gray, succeeded to the lordship in 1807. He rebuilt Kinfauns Castle in 1822, improved his estates with new farms and cottages, and was a Fellow of the Royal Society and President of the Society of Antiquaries.
He represents the Gray family’s later identity as improvers, antiquarians, estate-builders and noble landholders.
Chapter IV: Castles, Strongholds and Historic Sites
Fowlis Castle
Fowlis Castle was one of the earliest and most important Gray strongholds.
The title Lord Gray of Fowlis reflects the importance of Fowlis to the family’s noble identity. Andrew Gray inherited these lands through his mother, Janet Mortimer, which strengthened the family’s place in Angus and Perthshire society.
Castle Huntly
Castle Huntly, near Longforgan, is one of the most significant Gray castles.
Andrew, 1st Lord Gray, obtained royal licence from King James II in 1452 to build a castle on his lands at Longforgan.
For Clan Gray, Castle Huntly represents:
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Noble ambition
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Royal favour
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Lowland power
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Strategic estate-building
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Medieval castle authority
Broughty Castle
Broughty Castle, near Dundee, is another important Gray-associated stronghold. Clan-history summaries name it among the enduring landmarks built or held by the Grays.
Its coastal position made it strategically important for control of the River Tay and the approaches to Dundee.
Kinfauns Castle
Kinfauns Castle became closely associated with the later Lords Gray after the marriage of John, 11th Lord Gray, to Margaret Blair, heiress of Kinfauns. Francis, 14th Lord Gray, later rebuilt Kinfauns Castle in 1822.
Kinfauns represents the later Perthshire chapter of the Gray story: estate improvement, antiquarian interest, architectural ambition and aristocratic residence.
Chapter V: Battles, Wars and Clan Events
Clan Gray’s history is not centred on one famous Highland battlefield. It is better understood through royal service, noble advancement, castle-building, sheriffdoms, estate power and Lowland public office.
Hostage for King James I
Andrew Gray, later 1st Lord Gray, was one of the hostages connected with the ransom and return of King James I of Scotland. He was released in 1427.
This placed the family close to royal politics during a critical period of Scottish history.
Royal and Diplomatic Service
Andrew Gray accompanied Princess Margaret of Scotland to France in 1436 for her marriage to the French Dauphin, and later served as ambassador to England in 1449.
This shows the Gray family’s role in international royal diplomacy, not merely local landholding.
Creation of Lord Gray
The rise of the family to the peerage as Lord Gray marked one of the defining events in the clan’s history. It placed the Grays among Scotland’s noble families and gave the name a lasting aristocratic identity.
Building of Castle Huntly — 1452
In 1452, Andrew, 1st Lord Gray, received royal licence to build Castle Huntly.
This was a major statement of power and permanence.
Heritable Jurisdictions and Sheriffship
John, 11th Lord Gray, held the office of Sheriff Principal of Forfarshire and made a claim in 1747 in relation to the hereditary sheriffship of Forfar after the abolition of heritable jurisdictions.
This connects Clan Gray to one of the great transformations of 18th-century Scotland, when old noble and hereditary legal powers were reduced by the British state after the Jacobite era.
Rebuilding Kinfauns Castle — 1822
Francis, 14th Lord Gray, rebuilt Kinfauns Castle in 1822, improving his estates and reshaping the family’s architectural legacy.
This event belongs to the age of improvement, antiquarianism and romantic rebuilding that shaped many Scottish estates in the 19th century.
Chapter VI: Clan Crest, Motto and Badge
Clan Crest
The Gray crest is commonly given as:
An anchor in pale Or.
In simpler terms, this is a golden upright anchor.
The anchor suggests:
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Stability
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Hope
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Steadfastness
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Security
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Holding fast in difficulty
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Trust in safe mooring
Modern clan summaries give the Gray crest as an anchor in pale, Or.
Clan Motto
The clan motto is:
“Anchor Fast Anchor”
This is one of the most visually fitting mottos in Scottish clan heraldry.
It means:
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Hold firm
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Stay steady
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Do not drift
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Remain secure
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Trust your anchor
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Stand fast through storms
For Clan Gray, the motto fits the crest perfectly. The anchor is not only a maritime object. It is a symbol of firm identity and rooted loyalty.
Clan Badge
A widely agreed plant badge for Clan Gray is not consistently recorded.
For accuracy, the strongest Gray symbols are:
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The golden anchor crest
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The motto “Anchor Fast Anchor”
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Fowlis
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Castle Huntly
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Broughty Castle
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Kinfauns Castle
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The Gray tartan tradition
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The noble title Lord Gray
Chapter VII: Clan Tartans
Clan Gray does not have the same ancient tartan tradition as some Highland clans, but modern tartan records do include Gray-associated tartans.
Gray Personal Tartan
The Gray tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 1517 as a personal tartan.
The register states that it was designed by M. G. Gray or Mrs R. Gray of Alloa in February 1986, based on Stuart of Bute. It also notes that Gray families can be septs of either Clan Stewart or Clan Sutherland, and that in the north the Grays of Sutherland possessed lands at Skibo, Sordell and Ardinish.
This is important for accuracy. The Gray tartan exists, but the Scottish Register classifies this particular Gray tartan as personal, not as a universally official ancient clan tartan.
Gray and Sept Associations
Because some Gray families are associated as septs of Clan Stewart or Clan Sutherland, certain Gray descendants may choose tartans based on their family’s known regional and clan connection.
A Gray family from Perthshire or Angus may look to the Gray noble-house tradition.
A Gray family from Sutherland may have a northern association.
A Gray family with Stewart links may use a Stewart tartan where family tradition supports it.
The Meaning of Gray Tartan Today
For modern Gray descendants, tartan represents:
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Scottish surname heritage
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Lowland noble identity
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Fowlis and Kinfauns associations
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The anchor crest
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The motto “Anchor Fast Anchor”
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Stewart or Sutherland sept possibilities
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Family pride and diaspora identity
The tartan story of Gray should be handled carefully, but it still gives the name a visible modern Scottish expression.
Chapter VIII: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions
Clan Gray represents a proud Lowland Scottish identity built on land, law, castles, noble rank and steadiness.
Its story includes:
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Possible French or Norman origin traditions
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Fowlis and Longforgan
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Castle Huntly
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Broughty Castle
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Kinfauns Castle
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The Lords Gray
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Royal hostage and diplomatic service
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Sheriffship and public office
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The golden anchor crest
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The motto “Anchor Fast Anchor”
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Gray tartan and sept associations
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Armigerous modern status
Associated spellings and forms include:
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Gray
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Grey
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Graye
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Grai
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de Gray
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de Grey
The Gray story is not a Highland saga of glens and cattle raids. It is a Lowland noble story of castles, charters, offices, law, architecture and endurance.
Its power lies in the anchor: hold fast, remain firm, do not drift.
Chapter IX: Clan Gray Today
Today, Clan Gray is generally described as armigerous.
That means it has history, heraldry and family identity, but no currently recognised chief in the formal Scottish clan system. Modern clan summaries list Clan Gray as armigerous and state that it has no chief.
Modern Clan Gray identity can be found through:
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Family history research
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Tartan wearing
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Study of Fowlis, Castle Huntly and Kinfauns
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Research into Lord Gray and Scottish peerage records
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Stewart or Sutherland sept traditions where relevant
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Genealogy projects
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Diaspora communities across the world
For Gray descendants, the best first step is to trace the family’s region:
Angus?
Perthshire?
Sutherland?
Stewart country?
Lowland Scotland?
Diaspora?
That will determine which tartan, clan connection and historical branch is most relevant.
The clan stands today as a symbol of steadfastness, Lowland heritage, noble service, castle legacy and Scottish family pride.
Chapter X: Legacy of Clan Gray
The story of Clan Gray is a story of holding fast.
It begins with old lands, noble service and possible French roots, then rises through Fowlis, Longforgan, Castle Huntly, Broughty, Kinfauns and the Lords Gray.
Its crest, the golden anchor, speaks of security and hope.
Its motto gives the clan its voice:
Anchor Fast Anchor.
That phrase captures the Gray spirit: remain steady, hold your ground, and do not let the storm carry you away.
From Fowlis to Kinfauns, from royal service to estate-building, from Scotland to descendants across the world, Clan Gray continues to carry its history forward.
Its legacy is written in anchors, castle stone, noble titles, tartan threads, public office, 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 Gray is one chapter in that greater story — a story of Fowlis, Castle Huntly, Broughty Castle, Kinfauns, golden anchors, Lowland nobility and the enduring command to Anchor Fast Anchor.
Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:
www.tartantimemachine.com