Scottish Surnames of Clan Drummond – Origins, Tartans and Clan History

Sharing is caring!

Clan Drummond gave Scotland two queens. They helped win Bannockburn. They fought and died for the Jacobite cause. Few Scottish clans carry such a rich, royal history — and if your surname is Drummond, Begg, Gruar, or Mushet, this is your story.

The Drummonds have called Perthshire home for nearly a thousand years. Their castle gardens are among the finest in Europe. Their clan motto — “Gang Warily” — tells you everything about who they are. Careful. Watchful. Resilient.

This guide covers the Scottish surnames of Clan Drummond, their Gaelic roots, their royal connections, and how to trace your own Drummond ancestry today.

The Name Behind the Clan

The name Drummond comes from the Scottish Gaelic word “druim.” It means “ridge” or “high ground.”

The parish of Drymen, in Stirlingshire, takes its name from the same root. Early members of the clan lived on or near high ground in that area. Over time, they moved north into Perthshire, where they became one of the most powerful families in Scotland.

The Gaelic form of the surname today is “Druimeanach.”

The clan’s first documented ancestor is Malcolm Beg Drummond, recorded after 1169. He served as Chamberlain of the Lennox. His descendants took the name Drummond, and the clan grew from there.

According to tradition, the family’s origins stretch further back. A Hungarian nobleman named Maurice came to Scotland in 1067 with Edgar Ætheling, an Anglo-Saxon prince fleeing William the Conqueror. Malcolm III welcomed them. One of Edgar’s sisters married Malcolm III and became Saint Margaret of Scotland. The Drummonds may descend from Maurice’s companions.

How Clan Drummond Won Their Lands

The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 is where the Drummonds proved themselves.

Sir Malcolm Drummond fought for Robert the Bruce against the English army of Edward II. He used a clever tactic: caltrops. These were small iron spikes with four points, always landing with one spike pointing up. Malcolm scattered them on the battlefield to injure the English cavalry horses.

It worked. The English cavalry stumbled. The Scots won a famous victory. Bruce rewarded the Drummond clan with extensive lands in Perthshire.

The clan motto “Gang Warily” — Go Carefully — recalls this very moment. Think before you act. Use your head. That is the Drummond way.

From these lands, the Drummonds grew. By 1345, Sir John Drummond had married a Perthshire heiress and gained Stobhall Castle, north of Perth. Stobhall remains the clan’s seat today, held by the Earl of Perth.

In 1487, King James III elevated John Drummond to the first Lord Drummond. The clan had gone from soldiers at Bannockburn to Scotland’s nobility in under two centuries.

The Drummond Queens

No part of the Drummond story is more remarkable than their royal connections.

Clan Drummond gave Scotland two queens — both from the same family line.

Annabella Drummond was born around 1350. She was the daughter of Sir John Drummond of Stobhall. In 1367, she married John Stewart, Earl of Carrick. When her husband became King Robert III in 1390, Annabella was crowned Queen of Scotland at Scone Abbey.

She was a popular queen. Historians describe her as a calming influence during a turbulent reign. She and Robert III were married for 35 years — the longest royal marriage in Scottish history to that point. Their son became King James I of Scotland.

Margaret Drummond was the daughter of John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond. She became the mistress — and possibly the secret wife — of King James IV. In 1502, Margaret and her two sisters died suddenly at Drummond Castle. Historians believe they were poisoned to clear the way for James IV’s political marriage to Margaret Tudor of England.

James IV reportedly wore a mourning shirt under his armour for the rest of his life.

Drummond Surnames and Associated Septs

If your family carries any of the following surnames, you may have Drummond ancestry.

The official septs of Clan Drummond include:

• Begg — from the Gaelic “beag,” meaning small
• Brewer / Grewar / Gruar / Gruer — related names with origins in Gaelic “gruar”
• Cargill — from a place name in Perthshire, long connected to the clan
• Dock and Doig — variants found in Perthshire and Angus
• MacCrouther / MacGrouther / MacGruder / MacGruther — Gaelic patronymics linked to the same root as Grewar
• Mushet — a less common sept, officially recognised
• MacRobbie / MacRobie / Robbie — associated with Drummond lands in Perthshire

Many of these names are rare today. If you carry one of them, a DNA test combined with parish records can help confirm the connection.

For more on how Scottish surnames work across the clan system, read our guides to Scottish Surnames of Clan Fraser and Scottish Surnames of Clan Murray.

The Drummond Tartans

Clan Drummond has five main tartan variations:

• Ancient Drummond — soft greens, sky blue, and muted red; based on pre-1860 natural dyes
• Modern Drummond — bold bottle green, navy blue, and scarlet; the most widely recognised version
• Hunting Drummond — greens and browns for outdoor wear; a muted, practical design
• Dress Drummond — brighter with white woven in; worn at Highland games and formal events
• Weathered Drummond — muted aged tones with olive green, warm brown, and dusty pink

You can find your tartan through the Scottish Tartans Authority or specialist retailers. Drummond Castle Gardens also sells tartan items when open to visitors.

Drummond Castle and Its Famous Gardens

Drummond Castle stands about four kilometres south of Crieff in Perthshire. It is one of the oldest castle sites in Scotland still held by the original family.

The castle itself is not open to the public. But the gardens are extraordinary.

The formal gardens date to the 1630s, when the 2nd Earl of Perth laid them out below the castle. They follow an Italian parterre style — intricate low hedges arranged in geometric patterns, viewed from above. The central feature is a 17th-century obelisk sundial, restored in 2019. A beech tree planted by Queen Victoria in 1842 still grows there.

Look at the garden from above and you can see the St Andrew’s Cross in the design. It is breathtaking.

The gardens have appeared in the film Rob Roy and the Starz series Outlander.

The gardens open from 1st May to 31st October, usually from 13:00 to 18:00. Check the official website before visiting: drummondcastlegardens.co.uk.

For a full Perthshire heritage visit, pair Drummond Castle Gardens with Stobhall Castle and a trip to the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. Plan the full trip with our guide to How to Plan a Scottish Heritage Trip to Your Ancestral Clan Lands.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Enjoying this? 43,000 Scotland lovers get stories like this every week. Subscribe free →

Clan Drummond and the Jacobite Cause

When the Jacobite risings came, Clan Drummond stood firmly for the Stuart kings.

James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth, converted to Catholicism in the 1680s. He aligned the clan with King James VII. When James was deposed in 1688, the Drummonds followed him into exile.

In the 1715 rising, James Drummond, 2nd Duke of Perth, fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. The rising failed. The Crown forfeited his estates.

In 1745, James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Perth, returned from France and joined Prince Charles Edward Stuart — Bonnie Prince Charlie. He led forces at the Siege of Carlisle and fought at the battles of Falkirk and Culloden.

Culloden in 1746 was a disaster for the Jacobite cause. James Drummond took a bullet during the battle. He escaped Scotland by sea — but died of his wounds before reaching France.

The Drummond estates were forfeited again. It was not until 1853 that an Act of Parliament restored the title of Earl of Perth to the family.

Today, James David Drummond, 10th Earl of Perth, serves as Chief of Clan Drummond. The clan seat remains at Stobhall Castle, as it has been since 1323.

To learn about other clans who paid a heavy price at Culloden, read our guide to Scottish Surnames of Clan Cameron and Scottish Surnames of Clan Fraser.

Where Drummonds Went: The Scottish Diaspora

After Culloden and the Highland Clearances, many Drummond families left Scotland.

Canada received some of the largest numbers, especially in Nova Scotia and the Maritime Provinces. Gaelic-speaking Scottish families settled in isolated communities there from the late 18th century. The Drummond name still appears in Nova Scotia today.

Others went to the United States, particularly the Carolinas, Virginia, and later the Midwest. Some moved to Australia and New Zealand through assisted emigration schemes in the 1850s.

If your Drummond ancestors came from Perthshire, they likely left during one of three periods:

1. After the Jacobite defeat of 1746, when forfeited estates disrupted family ties
2. During the Highland Clearances of the late 18th and early 19th centuries
3. Through assisted emigration schemes of the 1850s

Knowing when your family left Scotland helps narrow down which records to search first.

To explore more diaspora stories, read our guide to Scottish Surnames of Clan MacGregor, another clan with a widely scattered diaspora.

Tracing Your Drummond Ancestry Today

Ready to trace your Scottish roots? Start here.

ScotlandsPeople (scotlandspeople.gov.uk) is the official source. It holds around 100 million Scottish records, including birth, marriage, and death registers from 1553, census records from 1841, and wills from 1500. This is your first stop.

Old Parish Records (OPRs) pre-date 1855 and cover baptisms, marriages, and burials in Scottish parishes. Perthshire parishes are well covered. Search for Drummond, Doig, Cargill, Begg, and the other sept names.

Statutory Registers from 1855 onwards are more detailed and easier to read. If your ancestor left Scotland after 1855, these records may show the specific parish they came from.

DNA testing can confirm clan connections. Autosomal DNA tests work well for Drummond connections up to about six generations back. Y-DNA tests can trace the direct paternal line over many centuries.

If you plan to visit Scotland to research in person, the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh holds the full archive. Their reading room is open by appointment.

For more on planning your Scottish heritage visit, including where to stay and how to structure your research trip, see our full itinerary guide. You can also read our articles on Clan Robertson and Clan MacKenzie, which include detailed notes on Highland and Perthshire records.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Drummond clan name mean?

Drummond comes from the Scottish Gaelic “druim,” which means ridge or high ground. The clan’s original territory in Stirlingshire and later Perthshire is characterised by ridges and elevated ground. The modern Gaelic form of the name is Druimeanach.

What is the Drummond clan motto?

The Drummond clan motto is “Gang Warily,” meaning Go Carefully. It refers to Sir Malcolm Drummond’s use of caltrops at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, injuring English cavalry horses and helping the Scots win the battle. The motto reflects the clan’s tradition of careful, strategic thinking.

Where is Drummond Castle?

Drummond Castle is near Crieff in Perthshire, about four kilometres south of the town. The castle is not open to the public, but the formal gardens open from May to October each year. The gardens feature a 17th-century obelisk sundial and a beech tree planted by Queen Victoria in 1842.

What are the sept names for Clan Drummond?

The official sept names of Clan Drummond include Begg, Brewer, Cargill, Dock, Doig, Grewar, Gruar, Gruer, MacCrouther, MacGrewar, MacGrouther, MacGruder, MacGruther, MacRobbie, MacRobie, Mushet, and Robbie. Many of these names are Gaelic patronymics connected to Drummond lands in Perthshire.

Was Annabella Drummond really Queen of Scotland?

Yes. Annabella Drummond became Queen of Scotland in 1390 when her husband became King Robert III. She was crowned at Scone Abbey. She and Robert III were married for 35 years, and their son became King James I of Scotland. Margaret Drummond was a second Drummond queen — she married King David II of Scotland.

How do I trace Drummond ancestry in Scotland?

Start with ScotlandsPeople (scotlandspeople.gov.uk), the official Scottish genealogy archive. Search Old Parish Records for Perthshire parishes if your family left before 1855. For later emigrants, check statutory registers from 1855 and emigration records through FamilySearch. DNA testing can confirm connections within the last six generations. Clan Drummond societies can also point you to additional genealogical resources.

Sharing is caring!