Chiefship Investiture


At a momentous and historic gathering of over 100 clansmen and woman from around the globe on the 16th day of April 2016 in the Merchant’s Hall Edinburgh, exactly 900 years to the day after the commemorated death of St Magnus, a Patron Saint of Clan Gunn, Dr Joseph Morrow, Lord Lyon King of Arms, presented Iain Gunn of Gunn, formerly Commander Iain Gunn of Banniskirk, with the Grant of Arms as Chief of Clan Gunn.

Please click on below link to see a video of the event:

16th April 2016 Merchants' Hall, Edinburgh
Lord Lyon Morrow Presents the Grant of Arms as Chief of Clan Gunn to Iain Gunn of Gunn

230 years after the death of the last fully recognised chief of the Clan, Morrison Gunn in 1785, Clan Gunn finally has a recognised Chief.

To all and sundry whom These Presents do or may concern, we Joseph John Morrow, one of Her Majesty’s Council Learned in the Law, Lord Lyon King of Arms, send greeting: Whereas considering that under the provisions of the Lyon King of Arms Act 1672, and others in the behalf made, we are empowered by virtue of our Office of Lord Lyon King of Arms to visit the whole Arms borne and used within this Realm of Scotland and to distinguish them with congruent differences and matriculate them in our Books and Seal of Office; and whereas IAIN ALEXANDER GUNN OF GUNN AND OF BANNISKIRK Chief of the Name and Arms of Gunn, Holder of the Degree of Master of Arts and Bachelor of Laws, residing at Swiney House, Lybster in the County of Caithness, having by petition unto us of date 4 December 2015 Shown that he, the petitioner, born 25 March 1933 (who married 8 June 1963 Aline Lavender, older daughter of William Lavender James, and has issue by her a only son John William Gunn of Gunn and of Banniskirk, younger, and an only daughter Helen Mary Aline Gunn of Gunn and of Banniskirk or Kinsman) is the only son of the late John Bain Gunn; THAT certain Ensigns Armorial are recorded in the public register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland (Volume 56, folio 63) of date 29 August 1973 and further volume 84, folio 22) of date 23 May 2003) where in the Petitioners descent is more fully set forth; THAT by Family Convention of date 18 July 2015 the Petitioner was presented to the Lord Lyon for recognition as Chief of the Name and Arms of Gunn which recognition was made of date 24 July 2015 AND the Petitioner having prayed that there might be confirmed unto him such Ensigns Armorial as are indicative of the Chief of the Name and Arms of Gunn together with the grant of Supporters, Standard and Pinsel know ye therefore that we have Maintained, Ratified and Confirmed as we do by these presents Maintain Ratify and Confirm unto the Petitioner and his heirs, Chiefs of Clan Gunn, the following Ensigns Armorial, as depicted upon the margin hereof, and matriculated of even date with these Presents upon the 9th page of the 93rd Volume of Our Public Register of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland, videlicet:- Argent, a three masted ship, sails furled gules. Above the Shield is placed a Helm befitting his degree with a Mantling Gules doubled Argent on a Wreath of the Liveries is set for Crest a dexter cubit arm attired with the proper tartan for the Clan Gunn, the hand grasping a basket hilted sword bladed Gules , hilted Argent, and in an Escrol over the same this motto “AUT PAX AUT BELLUM” On a compartment strewn with juniper bushes below the Shield are set for supporters dexter a Norse Warrior and sinister a Pictish Woman holding a sprig of juniper all proper.  He bears for badge within a chapiet of juniper a naked arm Proper the hand grasping a basket hilted sword bladed Gules hilted Argent which is depicted in the first and third compartments together with his crest in the second compartment upon a standard three and a half metres in length of three tracts Argent and Gules with the Arms of Gunn of Gunn in the hoist and upon two transverse bands Azure his Motto “AUT PAX AUT BELLUM” in letters Argent; For his Pinsel 135 centimetres long, 60 centimetres high Argent bearing upon a Wrath of his Liveries Argent and Gules a dexter cubit arm attired with the proper tartan for the Clan Gunn, the hand grasping a basket hilted sword bladed Gules, hilted Argent, within a strap of leather proper buckled and embellished or inscribed with the Motto “AUT PAX AUT BELLUM” in letter in the Field all within a circlet or fimbriated vert bearing his title “GUNN OF GUNN” in letters Gules, and in the fly on an Escrol Gules surmounting a sprig of Juniper Proper, being the Proper plant badge of the Clan Gunn, the slogan “CLYTH” in letters of the Field, In Testimony, Whereof we have subscribed These Presents and the Seal of Our Office is affixed hereto at Edinburgh this Thirtieth day of December in the 65th year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Fifteen.