Clan Shaw — Origins & History
Origins · The early Shaw line
Clan Shaw takes its place among the historic families of Inverness-shire. The line is traditionally traced to Shaw MacDuff, and over the centuries the Shaw chiefs built the territory, alliances and identity that the name still carries today.
Like all the great Scottish kindreds, Shaw was bound together less by a single bloodline than by allegiance to its chief and its country. Members took the chief's surname, followed his banner in war, and wore his colours — the origin of the tartan tradition that survives in the Shaw setts sold today.
“Fide et Fortitudine” — By fidelity and fortitude.
— the motto of Clan Shaw
Through the Centuries
From its base in Inverness-shire, Clan Shaw shared in the great movements of Scottish history — the wars of independence, the rise and fall of the Stewart kings, the Jacobite risings of the 18th century, and the upheavals that scattered Highland and Lowland families alike across the globe.
The Dress Act of 1746 banned Highland dress for a generation, and the Clearances that followed drove many Scottish families overseas. Yet the Shaw identity survived — carried in names, in records, and in the cloth. The clan is led today by its chief, John Shaw, recognised by the Lord Lyon as head of the name.
Today the Shaw tartan is worn at weddings, gatherings, Highland games and Burns Night celebrations from Scotland to North America, Australia and New Zealand — a living link between the modern family and its Scottish origins.
