Motto: Be Traist (Be Faithful)
Crest: A Boar’s Head
Plant: The Great Bullrush
Tartans: Red Innes and Green Innes Hunting
Brief History:
The Innes clan dates back to 1160 AD when King Malcolm IV confirmed the lands of Innes on Berowald from Flanders. The lands were located on the outskirts of Elgin in North-East Scotland. They stretched for over six miles along the south shore of the Moray firth, between the Spey and Lossie rivers. The name comes from the Gaelic, Innis, which means meadow, greens or island, all descriptive of this area.
The Inneses grew to be one of the most powerful families in the province of Moray, dominating the parishes of Urquhart, Lhanbryde, and the surrounding district. Innes House, which is still occupied, was built between 1640 and 1653 on the Barony of Innes by Sir Robert Innes, 20th chief of Clan Innes. The oldest part of the house dates to the 15th century when it appears on early maps as “Innes Castle”.
Sir James Innes, 22nd chief, married Lady Margaret Ker in 1666; and as a result their great grandson, Sir James Innes, inherited the Dukedom of Roxburghe in 1805 when the Ker family line died out. Today, Sir Charles Innes-Ker, 11th Duke of Roxburghe, is the 31th Baron of Innes and the direct descendant of Berowald from Flanders. He resides at Floors Castle near Kelso, Scotland.
The Inneses played their full part in the tumultuous history of Scotland. It was John Innes, Bishop of Moray, who rebuilt much of Elgin Cathedral in 1407-1414 after it was sacked and burned by the Wolf of Badenoch. Another Innes, the Laird of Innermarkie, was beheaded for his part in the murder of the Earl of Moray. The Inneses raised several regiments for service during the Covenanting and Civil wars of the 17th century. In this century, Sir Malcolm Innes, K.C.V.O., W.S. was Lord Lyon King of Arms from 1981, until his retirement in 2001. His father, Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, held the title before him.
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