|
The
Barony of Loch Mullion,
west of Luncarty in
Perthshire, is
surrounded by the
baronies of Findowie,
Mullion, and
Logiealmond. These
baronies trace their
feudal origins to the
15th century under the
Fergusons, and
subsequently passed to
the Murrays and
Drummonds of Perthshire
through charter,
inheritance, and royal
grant. By 1638, the
lands were consolidated
under the wider Barony
of Logiealmond, held by
the Drummond Stewarts of
Grandtully.
A
distinct legend
surrounds Loch Mullion,
said to have been
protected since ancient
times by a Fae named
Maireann. Daughter of a
Pictish Chieftain and a
Queen of the Aos Si.
According to family
legend, she united with
James Anderson, who
stumbled upon the loch
in 1640, and foretold a
return of her lands to
their descendants who
would one day claim the
Barony of Loch Mullion.
After the birth of their
son, Maireann went back
to the world of the Fae.
Many generations
dismissed this legend as
grief-madness resulting
from the loss of a wife.
In
1863, this prophecy
seemed fulfilled however
when William George
Drummond Stewart, having
been assigned the barony
in 1847 by his father
Sir William Drummond
Stewart, conveyed the
barony by disposition to
Alexander Anderson, a
friend and distant
cousin through the
Drummond line.
The
barony passed through
several generations of
Andersons to the current
holder, William Steven
Anderson in 2000. In
keeping with family
tradition, the current
baron is a supporter of
Jacobite ideals. The
Baron holds great
respect for the office
of the Lord Lyon and the
heraldic traditions of
Scotland. However, for
reasons of honouring
this Jacobite legacy,
the present baron has
chosen to assume arms
independently rather
than petition the Lord
Lyon. In an act
honouring tradition and
the enduring spirit of
Scottish sovereignty the
current baron wrote to
Franz, Duke of Bavaria
the current Jacobite
pretender to the
Scottish throne.
Although the Duke views
his Jacobite claim as a
historical curiosity and
does not pursue the said
claim, he very kindly
gave his symbolic
endorsement with a
signature and
accompanying letter of
approval at the bottom
of the assumed arms of
William Steven Anderson,
Baron of Loch Mullion.
The
current Baron of Loch
Mullion has entries in
Debrett’s and the
Registry of Scots
Nobility as well as a
chapter in a coming book
of Perthshire feudal
baronies by historian
John Macleod.
The fess wavy Argent on
an Azure field
represents the loch
itself. In chief, the
tower Proper represents
the Anderson
family. The
crescent Argent, estoile
and, in base, a lymphad
sails furled and flagged
Argent represents the
Andersons' profession as
boat builders and their
journeys to Australia
and Canada.
The crest is a nod to
the family legend and
prophecy.
The livery colours of
Azure and Argent are
inspired by the colours
of Scotland and the
motto "Seas Cinnteach"
is the Scottish Gaelic
of Stand Sure, the motto
of The Clan Anderson
Society.
|
