The Chief Of Clan Morrison

In 1965 the Lord Lyon (the chief herald of Scotland) formally recognized Iain's father, "Dr. John Morrison"; Chief of the "Clan and name of Morrison". His lineage could be traced back thirteen generations to the Morrisons of Harris, the hereditary keepers of the Dun of Pabbay.

Dr. Iain Morrison was born in 1938; he attended public school in Cheltenham and obtained his medical training at St. Thomas' Hospital (University of London). His family home, Ruchdi, is located in North Uist between Clachan Sands and Trumisgarry. Directly across from it is the small island of Ruchdi-Pabbay (from which his motto derives).

The Morrison stronghold of Dun Eistein was purchased by the Clan Morrison Society (est. 1909) from a London property company and ownership was transferred to Dr. John Morrison.

Transcription of the Original Grant Of Arms
To Dr. John Morrison

TO ALL AND SUNDRY WHOM THESE PRESENTS DO OR MAY CONCERN,

 We, Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Doctor of Laws, Advocate, Lord Lyon King of Arms, send Greeting; WHEREAS, JOHN MORRISON OF RUCHDI in Yallaquie in the Island of North Uist and County of Inverness, and of Dun Eistein in the Isle of Lewes, Principal Chief of the Haill Name and Clan of Morrison, having by Petition of date 6th February 1967, SHEWN THAT the Petitioner has been unable to trace any descendent in the name of Morrison, of the Breves of Lewes or the House of Habost or Chiefs of the Clan Morrison, excepting the house and forbears of him, John Morrison of Ruchdi, Representer of the House of Morrison of Ruchdi, deriving from the Morrisons at the Dun of Pabbay in Harris; THAT Arms were matriculated in the Public Register of All Arms  and Bearings in Scotland (Volume XLIV, folio 48)of date 19th October 1959, in name of the Petitioner, which Ensigns Armorial the Petitioner Prays may be matriculated of new in his own name with the addition of plant badge and bearers and pinsel suitable to the Chief of the hail name and Clan of Morrison; AND the principal landed or armigerous members of the said Clan and Name of Morrison having by their petition of 8th March 1967 represented (inter alia) THAT the House of Morrison of Ruchdi has a properly deduced Gaelic pedigree back some twelve generations from the Morrisons in the Dun of Pabbay on Tarbert of Harris who appear to have been Officers of that Castle, they having constituted themselves an ad hoc gilfine for the want of any now traceable known Hereditary Chief of the whole name of Morrison, have, after earnest thought and consideration, and feeling the great need of the name of Morrison for an Hereditary Chief and there being a number of Morrisons in the South West and North East of Scotland not conclusively connected with the Morrisons of Dun Eistein and those of the rest of Morrisons in Lewes and Harris wherein the Morrisons of Habost, Breves of Lewes, and the Morrisons of Ruchdi, perhaps Keepers, and Armourers at the Dun of Pabbay appear to have been of the Principal duine-uasail of the name and Clan of Morrison, whereby Chiefs traditionally held Dun Eistein as their Seat; AND the line having then been lost they have made choice and selection of JOHN MORRISON of RUCHDI as being the only person other than the cadets of the his house of Ruchdi with a Celtic descent many generations back to the Morrisons, apparently Officers at the Dun of Pabbay and having been the best and most fitting person to represent line of ancient Morrison Chiefs if it should be found  proper by Us that We, in his person erect and re-establish in the Clan and Name of Morrison to be so organised as an Honourable Clan and Name; which they earnestly desire should be done for the weil, good and standing of the Clan and Name of Morrison, that such a Chief should be constituted and duly invested in the Insignia of the Chiefship of the whole name of Morrison (and any septs of the same thereafter ascertained) to wit Arms as the machinery for operating such a hereditary Representation of the Name of Morrison and further, that, from there already being some organisation and regard in the South West of Scotland and the Morrisons therein for the Morrisons of that part of Scotland and that although in these respective parts of the traditions and development of these Morrisons, though bearing the name, have evolved from local traditions from these respective areas and accordingly that it would make a more effective organisation of The Name of Morrison if the Morrisons of that name in the said areas were furnished with Area-Chiefs relative to the South West, under Lord Margadale as Area or Regional Chief under the Principal Chiefship of Morrison of Ruchdi in the Hebrides, as being the only House whom it has been possible to trace back to the Morrisons in the days of the Hebridean organisation centreing in the case of the Name and Clan of Morrison upon the Fortress of Dun Eistein; and for that effect that the said John Morrison of Ruchdi, being possessed of the Arms and Insignia appropriate to such Chiefship, as John Morrison, Lord Margadale of Islay, possessed of arms appropriate to an Area or Regional Chief of the Morrisons of Islay, the Sundrays and South West Scotland; THAT the said whole kin or Clan and Name of Morrison be hereby organised under the Hebridean stem-Morrison of Ruchdi and that Lord Margadale, Area-Chief in the Strathclyde area (as above defined), may be furnished with such insignia We may find proper and useful for the said hereditary Principal Chief and Area - Chiefs to which it may be possible, after further research, to add suitable hereditary chiefs representing, if it happily so turned out, the House of Habost and Breves of the Lewes and the Morrisons of Lothian, and the Merse, all under Morrison of Ruchdi as Principal Chief analogocus to the useful organisation in like form of the Clan Donald and Clan Chattan; AND the said landed men, the Petitioners having earnestly prayed that We might re-matriculate the Arms of the said John Morrison of Ruchdi and Dun Eistein as so constituted Chief with such suitable additaments as are appropriate to the Hereditary Chief of the Haill Clan and Name of Morrison which it is humbly submitted will be of benefit and utility unto the whole Name and Clan of Morrison of Scotland and beyond;

KNOW YE THEREFORE, that agreeably with Our Interlocutor and Warrant of date 23rd May 1967, we have maintained ratified and confirmed as We Do By These Presents MAINTAIN, RATIFY AND CONFIRM unto the Petitioner JOHN MORRISON OF RUCHDI and Dun Eistein, Principal Chief of the Haill Name and Clan of Morrison the following Ensigns Armorial as depicted upon the margin hereof and matriculated of even date with These Presents upon the 19th page of the 51st Volume of Our Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, videlicet: - Per bend sinister Gules and Argent, a demi-lion rampant issuant Or, armed and langued Azure, holding in his paws a battle-axe, the shaft curved, of the Third, axe-head of the Fourth in Chief, in base, issuing from the sea undy Vert and Or, a tower Sable, windows and port Or, over all a bend sinister embattled Azure, charged with an open crown Or, jewelled Gules, between two fleur-de-lys Argent. Above the Shield is placed an Helm befitting his degree, with a Mantling Gules doubled Argent, and on a Wreath of the Liveries is set for Crest issuant from waves of the sea Azure crested Argent a Mount Vert, thereon an embattled wall Azure, maisoned Argent, and issuing therefrom a cubit arm naked proper, the hand grasping a dagger hilted Or, and in Escrol over the same this Motto TEAGHLACH PHABBAY: and on a Compartment below the Shield, consisting of two timber logs of driftwood proper floating in the sea Azure crested Argent, along with this slogan DUN EISTEIN, are set for Supporters two dolphins haurient Vert issuant from the waves aforesaid; and for his Badge a tower embattled Sable, port and windows Or, issuant from the sea wavy Azure crested Argent, upon the battlements two hands couped proper, grasping a broadsword in pale Or: and for his Slogan the words DUN EISTEIN, which are depicted on a Standard twelve feet in length, of these Liveries Gules and Argent,, and having the Arms of Morrison of Ruchdi in the hoist, the Crest being depicted in the first and third compartments and the Badge in the second compartment, with the Motto DUN EISTEIN in letter Or upon two transverse bands Azure; and for his Pinsel, Gules, his Crest within a strap and buckle proper within a circlet Or bearing his name and the title MORRISON OF RUCHDI in letters Azure, and in the fly a strand of driftweed proper, being his Plant Badge of his Clan Morrison, surmounted of an Escrol Argent bearing his Motto DUN EISTEIN in letters Sable, by demonstration of which Ensigns Armorial he and his successors in the same are, amongst all Nobles and in all Places of Honour, to be taken, numbered accounted and received as Principal Chiefs of the Haill Kin and Clan and Surname of Morrison; IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF we have Subscribed these Presents and the Seal of Our Office is affixed hereto at Edinburgh this 19th day of October in the Year of our Lord One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-seven.