Clan Mar: A Legacy of Kildrummy, Braemar and the Ancient Earls of Mar
Introduction
Clan Mar, also known as the Tribe of Mar, is one of Scotland’s most ancient noble kindreds, rooted especially in Aberdeenshire, Mar, Braemar, Kildrummy Castle, Aboyne, Deeside, Garioch, Banchory, Strathdon, and the wider north-east of Scotland.
The clan motto is:
“Pans Plus”
“Think more.”
The clan crest is:
On a chapeau Gules furred Ermine, two wings, each of ten pen feathers, erected and addorsed, both blazoned as in the arms.
In simpler terms, this is a pair of upright wings set upon a red cap lined with ermine. Modern clan summaries give this as the chief’s crest and list Pans Plus as the chief’s motto.
The historic seat is:
Kildrummy Castle, Aberdeenshire.
The current chief is:
Margaret of Mar
31st Countess of Mar
Chief of the Name and Arms of Mar
Modern clan references identify Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, as the current chief of Clan Mar.
Chapter I: Origins of Clan Mar
The name Mar is territorial.
It comes from the old district or province of Mar in north-east Scotland.
Historic forms and associated names include:
Mar
Marr
Mair
Mairs
Marrs
Mayers
Mahr
Morren
Strachan
Tough
Modern clan summaries list several of these forms as septs or associated names of Clan Mar.
The district of Mar was one of the great ancient provinces of Scotland. Its rulers became the Mormaers of Mar, later known as the Earls of Mar.
The title Earl of Mar is among the oldest surviving earldoms associated with Scotland. The family’s story reaches back into the early medieval world of mormaers, royal power, castles, feudal succession, Jacobite politics and the long legal complexity of Scottish peerage history.
Clan Mar is therefore a clan of ancient territory, noble authority, north-eastern power, royal service, Jacobite ambition and remarkable survival.
Its motto gives the clan its voice:
Think more.
Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands
Clan Mar’s historic territory includes:
Mar
Marr
Braemar
Kildrummy
Deeside
Garioch
Strathdon
Aboyne
Banchory
Aberdeenshire
The wider Scottish diaspora
The great historic seat is:
Kildrummy Castle
Kildrummy Castle was the main stronghold of the Earldom of Mar and is listed as the historic seat of Clan Mar.
The clan’s modern listed seat is:
Great Witley, Worcestershire
This reflects the modern residence associated with the chief rather than the ancient Scottish heartland.
The Mar landscape is one of:
mountain passes
royal forests
Deeside power
north-eastern lordship
old castles
Gaelic mormaers
Jacobite gathering places
Braemar itself preserves the name of Mar and remains one of the most recognisable Highland locations tied to the old province.
Chapter III: Important People of Clan Mar
The Mormaers of Mar
Before the title became fully feudalised as an earldom, the rulers of Mar were known as mormaers.
A mormaer was a powerful regional ruler in early medieval Scotland, roughly comparable to a great provincial lord or earl.
The Mormaers of Mar held one of the oldest political territories in Scotland.
The Ancient Earls of Mar
The Earls of Mar became among the most important nobles in medieval Scotland.
They controlled strategic territory in the north-east and were deeply involved in Scottish royal politics.
Donald, Earl of Mar
The early Earls of Mar were important in the age of the Wars of Independence and the Bruce monarchy.
The Mar family had close links to the royal house, and the earldom’s position gave its holders major influence in the struggle between Scottish and English power.
The Douglas and Stewart Successions
The Mar title later passed through heiresses and became involved with the Douglases, then the Stewarts, and eventually the Erskines.
Modern clan summaries note that the chiefs were the original Earls of Mar, though the title later passed through heiress lines to the Douglases, then Stewarts, and later Erskines.
This makes the Mar story complex: the ancient name, the earldom title, and the later peerage disputes must be handled carefully.
John Erskine, Earl of Mar
One of the most famous figures connected with the Mar title was John Erskine, Earl of Mar, remembered as a major Jacobite leader.
He was central to the Jacobite Rising of 1715, when he raised the Jacobite standard at Braemar for James Francis Edward Stuart, known to supporters as James VIII and III.
Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar
The current chief is:
Margaret of Mar
31st Countess of Mar
Chief of the Name and Arms of Mar
She descends from the line recognised as holding the older Mar dignity, while the Earl of Mar and Kellie belongs to the Erskine line and is chief of Clan Erskine, not Clan Mar. Modern clan summaries make this distinction clearly.
Chapter IV: Castles, Lands and Historic Sites
Kildrummy Castle
Kildrummy Castle is the great historic seat of Clan Mar.
It stood as the chief stronghold of the Earldom of Mar and was one of the most important castles in north-east Scotland.
For Clan Mar, Kildrummy represents:
Chiefship
The Earldom of Mar
North-east power
Medieval lordship
The ancient province of Mar
The old heart of the name
Modern clan summaries list Kildrummy Castle as the main stronghold of the earldom and the historic clan seat.
Braemar
Braemar preserves the name of Mar in the Highland landscape.
It is especially famous in Jacobite history because the standard of the 1715 rising was raised there.
For Clan Mar, Braemar represents:
Highland gathering
Jacobite memory
The old province of Mar
Mountain identity
Royal and noble presence
Deeside
Deeside forms part of the wider Mar landscape.
It connects the clan to royal hunting country, Highland roads, ancient routes and north-eastern aristocratic power.
Aboyne and Garioch
The wider Mar district extended into areas of Garioch, Aboyne and surrounding Aberdeenshire.
These places belong to the old political geography of the earldom.
Great Witley
Great Witley, in Worcestershire, is listed as the modern seat connected with the current chief.
This is not the ancient Scottish seat, but it forms part of the modern chiefship story.
Chapter V: Royal Power, Jacobites and Clan Events
Clan Mar history is shaped by ancient mormaership, medieval earldom, royal connections, succession disputes, Jacobite rebellion and modern chiefship recognition.
The Ancient Province of Mar
The province of Mar was one of the great territories of early Scotland.
Its rulers were not minor lairds but regional magnates with power over a large and strategically important part of the north-east.
Kildrummy and Medieval Power
Kildrummy Castle gave the earldom a strong defensive and administrative centre.
It symbolised the authority of the Earls of Mar and their place in national politics.
The Mar Succession
The Mar title has one of the most complicated peerage histories in Scotland.
The ancient earldom passed through heirs and heiresses, and later legal decisions created distinction between the old dignity of Mar and the later Mar and Kellie line.
For clarity:
Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, is Chief of Clan Mar.
James Erskine, Earl of Mar and Kellie, is Chief of Clan Erskine.
This distinction is important for accurate clan writing.
Jacobite Rising of 1715
The Earl of Mar became one of the leading figures of the Jacobite Rising of 1715.
The rising began when the Jacobite standard was raised at Braemar, calling supporters to restore the exiled Stuart line.
This event gives Clan Mar and the Mar title a central place in Jacobite memory.
Restoration and Recognition
Modern clan references identify Margaret of Mar as the recognised chief of the name and arms of Mar, continuing the ancient line in the modern clan system.
Chapter VI: Clan Crest, Motto and Badge
Clan Crest
The Mar crest is:
On a chapeau Gules furred Ermine, two wings, each of ten pen feathers, erected and addorsed, both blazoned as in the Arms.
This means a pair of wings standing upright on a red cap lined with ermine.
The symbolism suggests:
Nobility
Elevation
Watchfulness
Ancient rank
Royal proximity
A house raised above ordinary status
The chapeau is a noble heraldic symbol, and the wings give the crest a sense of ascent, movement and dignity.
Clan Motto
The motto is:
“Pans Plus”
This means:
“Think more.”
It is one of the most intellectually distinctive Scottish clan mottoes.
It suggests:
Wisdom before action
Reflection before ambition
Strategy before conflict
Judgement before pride
For Clan Mar, the motto fits a house whose history is filled with politics, inheritance, diplomacy, rebellion and legal complexity.
Clan Badge
A distinct plant badge for Clan Mar is not consistently recorded in the major clan references.
For accuracy, the strongest Mar symbols are:
The winged crest
The motto “Think more”
Kildrummy Castle
The Earldom of Mar
Braemar
The Mar Tribe tartan
The ancient province of Mar
Chapter VII: Clan Mar Tartans
Mar Tribe Tartan
The Mar Tribe tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 2829.
This gives modern Mar descendants and associated families a recognised tartan identity.
Marr Green Modern Tartan
Modern clan-finder material also lists Marr Green Modern as a clan tartan option.
Mar Ancient, Modern and District Tartan Options
Modern suppliers may present Mar or Marr tartans in forms such as:
Modern
Ancient
Weathered
Muted
Green modern variants
The usual distinction is dye tone:
Modern colours are deeper and stronger.
Ancient colours are softer and lighter.
Weathered colours are muted and aged.
Muted versions are more restrained.
The Meaning of Mar Tartan Today
For modern Mar descendants, tartan represents:
The ancient province of Mar
Kildrummy Castle
Braemar
The Earls of Mar
The motto “Think more”
The winged crest
Family pride and diaspora identity
The Mar tartans give this ancient noble house a visible and wearable Scottish identity.
Chapter VIII: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions
Clan Mar represents a Scottish identity built on ancient territory, noble authority, strategic thought and historical endurance.
Its story includes:
The province of Mar
The Mormaers of Mar
The ancient Earls of Mar
Kildrummy Castle
Braemar
The Jacobite Rising of 1715
The Mar peerage complexities
Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar
The winged crest
The motto “Pans Plus”
The Mar Tribe tartan
A living recognised chief
Associated names and septs include:
Mar
Marr
Marrs
Mair
Mairs
Mayers
Morren
Strachan
Tough
Mahr
Modern clan summaries list these as septs or associated names of Clan Mar.
Chapter IX: Clan Mar Today
Today, Clan Mar remains a recognised Scottish clan with a living chief.
The current chief is:
Margaret of Mar
31st Countess of Mar
Chief of the Name and Arms of Mar
Modern clan references identify her as the current chief of Clan Mar.
Modern Clan Mar identity can be found through:
Tribe of Mar organisations
Family history research
Tartan wearing
Study of Kildrummy and Braemar
Research into the Earls of Mar
Jacobite history
Scottish heritage events
Diaspora family networks
For Mar descendants, the best first step is to trace the family’s region:
Aberdeenshire?
Braemar?
Kildrummy?
Deeside?
Garioch?
Strathdon?
Marr surname line?
Mair or Mairs?
Strachan or Tough connection?
Canada?
Australia?
New Zealand?
The United States?
That will determine the strongest family-history path.
Chapter X: Legacy of Clan Mar
The story of Clan Mar begins in one of Scotland’s oldest territories.
From the province came the name.
From the mormaers came ancient authority.
From the earls came noble power.
From Kildrummy came the castle heart.
From Braemar came Jacobite memory.
From the crest came the wings.
Its motto gives the clan its voice:
Pans Plus — Think more.
That phrase captures the Mar spirit: careful thought, high rank, political intelligence and endurance through centuries of complexity.
From Kildrummy Castle to Braemar, from ancient mormaers to descendants across the world, Clan Mar continues to carry its history forward.
Its legacy is written in tartan, wings, castles, earldoms, Jacobite standards, legal records, family stories 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, surnames, castles, kirkyards, tartans, legends and forgotten stories that shaped the nation.
Clan Mar is one chapter in that greater story — a story of ancient mormaers, Kildrummy Castle, Braemar, the Earls of Mar, Jacobite memory, winged crests, tartans and the thoughtful motto: Think more.
Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:
www.tartantimemachine.com