Clan Hay History and Origin

From the windswept cliffs of Aberdeenshire to the fertile plains of Perthshire, the legacy of Clan Hay is deeply woven into the fabric of Scottish history. For over nine centuries, this remarkable lineage has stood at the right hand of kings, defended the realm, and maintained one of the most prestigious hereditary offices in the British Isles: the Lord High Constable of Scotland.

For researchers and history enthusiasts alike, the story of Clan Hay is a captivating journey of medieval migration, royal service, high-stakes political intrigue, and enduring folklore. As a major Lowland clan, the Hays have played a defining role in shaping the politics, castles, and culture of Scotland.

The Origin & Name Meaning: From Norman Bocage to Celtic Legend

To understand the origins of Clan Hay, one must navigate a dual narrative where populist folklore and Scoto-Norman feudal records intersect. This served a crucial sociopolitical purpose, allowing a noble family of continental French origin to cultivate an ancient, native lineage in Scotland.

The Legend of Luncarty (980 AD)

The traditional folklore of how the clan began is the Legend of Luncarty, first recorded by Hector Boece in his Scotorum Historia (1525). According to this tale, during the reign of King Kenneth III (circa 980 AD), Danish Viking invaders sailed up the Tay estuary, routed the Scottish royal army, and pursued them into a narrow pass.

An elderly rustic farmer named Hay—along with his two sons of immense physical stature—was tilling a nearby field. Disgusted by the retreat, they took the heavy wooden yokes from their oxen ploughs, blocked the pass, and rallied the fleeing soldiers. Brandishing these implements, they led a fierce counter-charge that turned the tide of battle, driving the Norse invaders into the Firth of Tay.

To honour their valour, King Kenneth III convened a parliament at Scone. He decreed that the family would be elevated to the nobility and granted as much land in the Carse of Gowrie as a royal falcon could encompass in a single flight before landing. The bird was released from the summit of Kinnoull Hill, swept across the Tay Valley, and settled on a stone at St. Madoes (four miles from Dundee), which became known as the Falcon Stone. This marked out a territory six miles long, thereafter called Errol.

To symbolize their bravery, the king assigned them a coat of arms: three red shields (inescutcheons) on a silver background, representing that the father and his two sons had been the "three fortunate shields" of Scotland.

The Scoto-Norman Reality: The Barony of Erroll

While the Luncarty legend is a magnificent piece of heritage, historical research reveals a different story. Surnames did not exist in Scotland in 980 AD, and heraldry did not appear until the 12th century. Prominent historians demonstrated that the legend was a later fabrication to legitimize foreign feudal lords, with Sir James Balfour Paul famously calling Boece 'an incorrigible old liar'.

Historically, the progenitors of Clan Hay were Norman knights from La Haye-du-Puits in Normandy, France. Etymologically, "Haye" (derived from the Old High German Haga) means a hedge, stockade, or defensive wall, reflecting the region's hedgerows. In Scottish Gaelic, the name is rendered as Garadh or MacGaradh.

The de la Haye family accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066. In the 12th century, they were invited to settle in Scotland. The first recorded Hay in Scotland was William II de Haya, who was in the Scottish court around 1160 and served as Pincerna (royal Cup Bearer) to King Malcolm IV and King William the Lion.

William II secured regional legitimacy by marrying Eva of Pitmilly, a Scoto-Pictish heiress. In 1178, William the Lion granted him the Barony of Erroll in Perthshire, establishing him as the first Baron of Erroll and the historical Chief of Clan Hay. Through strategic marriages, the Norman family integrated into the Celtic aristocracy: their son David married Helen, daughter of Gilbert, the Earl of Strathearn, making their successor, Gilbert, three-quarters Celtic by blood.

Rise to Power & Key Alliances: Champions of the Crown

The transition of Clan Hay from regional landowners to leading figures of Scottish statecraft occurred under Sir Gilbert Hay, the fifth Baron of Erroll.

Sir Gilbert Hay and Robert the Bruce

Although Sir Gilbert initially swore fealty to Edward I of England in 1296, he abandoned his English allegiance by 1306 to join Robert the Bruce. Sir Gilbert became one of Bruce’s most loyal companions-in-arms, sharing the hardships of his early campaigns and fighting at the victory of the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Following the triumph at Bannockburn, Robert the Bruce rewarded Sir Gilbert's loyalty with the forfeited lands of the Comyn Earls of Buchan, including the Barony of Slains on the Aberdeenshire coast.

By royal charter dated November 12, 1314, Bruce made the office of Lord High Constable of Scotland hereditary within the chiefly line of Clan Hay. This carried immense military and judicial authority. The Constable was the supreme commander of the Scottish army, second only to the king, and was responsible for the personal safety of the monarch.

The chief presided over the High Court of Constabulary, judging crimes committed near the king, Council, or Parliament. The Constable was also the sword-bearer at coronations and commanded the ceremonial royal guard, known as the Durward of Partisans.

Expansion and Branch Proliferation

Over succeeding generations, Clan Hay expanded its influence: Sir Thomas Hay married Princess Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of King Robert II. Another Sir Gilbert Hay of Delgatie fought alongside Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War. In 1453, Sir William Hay was created the 1st Earl of Erroll by King James II, with the subsidiary titles of Lord Hay (1449) and Lord Slains (1452). The southern cadet branch, the House Hay of Yester, acquired the grand estate of Yester in East Lothian, eventually becoming the Marquesses of Tweeddale.

Feuds and the Darker History: Tragedy, Rebellion, and Scandal

The annals of Clan Hay are filled with tragic battles, religious defiance, executions, and unsolved crimes.

The Carnage of Flodden (1513)

At the disastrous Battle of Flodden in 1513, the clan suffered a blow from which it took generations to recover. William Hay, the 4th Earl of Erroll, was killed alongside King James IV. Not a single senior male of the chiefly house returned alive from the field, which claimed the lives of 87 lairds and gentlemen of the name Hay, decimating the clan's leadership overnight.

The Spanish Plot and the Blowing Up of Slains

During the 16th-century Reformation, several Earls of Erroll maintained Roman Catholic sympathies. Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll, became a leader of the Catholic faction in Scotland. In the 1590s, Francis conspired with King Philip II of Spain to launch a Catholic invasion of Britain. Although the Spanish plot collapsed, Earl Francis and the Gordon Earl of Huntly rose in rebellion. In October 1594, they defeated Protestant royal forces at the Battle of Glenlivet. In response, King James VI personally supervised the blowing up of Old Slains Castle, forcing Earl Francis into exile.

Executions and Beheadings

The 17th and 18th centuries brought further bloodshed:

• The Execution of Delgatie (1650): Sir William Hay of Delgatie served as Chief of Staff to the Marquis of Montrose during the Civil War. Following defeat, he was hanged in Edinburgh in 1650. After the Restoration, he was given a state funeral and buried in St. Giles Cathedral.
• The Beheading of Kilmarnock (1746): During the Jacobite Uprisings, the Hays remained loyal to the Stuarts. Following Culloden, William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock (husband of Mary Hay, 14th Countess of Erroll's sister), was beheaded at Tower Hill. His son succeeded to the Earldom of Erroll, assuming the surname Hay.

The Unsolved Happy Valley Murder (1941)

In the 20th century, the clan's history took a scandalous turn. Josslyn Hay, the 22nd Earl of Erroll, emigrated to Kenya, joining the 'Happy Valley' set. On January 24, 1941, Lord Erroll was found shot dead in his car outside Nairobi. His affair with Lady Diana Broughton led to the trial and acquittal of Sir Jock Delves Broughton, but the murder of the 22nd Earl remains officially unsolved.

Clan Castles & Territories: The Stone Monuments of Hay Influence

Over the centuries, the Hays owned approximately 150 castles and lairds' houses across Scotland. Several majestic strongholds still stand as testaments to their historical power.

Old and New Slains Castle

Located on a rocky peninsula near Collieston, Old Slains Castle was the principal seat of the Earls of Erroll from the 14th century until its destruction by James VI in 1594. Today, only a single wall remains. Following this loss, the chiefs built New Slains Castle on the craggy cliffs of Cruden Bay. This fortress was held by the Hays until 1916. It is famously linked to literary history: during a visit, author Bram Stoker was inspired by the castle's octagonal hall, using it as the architectural inspiration for Dracula.

Delgatie Castle

Located near Turriff, Delgatie Castle was acquired by the Hays in the 15th century through marriage with a Fraser heiress. The castle is an outstanding example of a Scottish L-plan tower house, with walls between 8 and 16 feet thick to resist early siege guns. Delgatie hosted Mary, Queen of Scots for three days in 1562, and her bedchamber, complete with original 16th-century painted ceilings, is still on view. Today, Delgatie is fully restored and serves as the official global Clan Hay Centre.

Neidpath Castle

Neidpath Castle, near Peebles, is a fourteenth-century Border tower house. Built by Sir William de Haya of Locherworth, its 3.7-meter-thick walls withstood a siege by Oliver Cromwell's forces in 1650. In the late 18th century, Neidpath was owned by the Duke of Queensberry, who ordered the felling of its ancient trees, prompting William Wordsworth to write a sonnet of condemnation: 'Degenerate Douglas! oh, the unworthy Lord!'

Yester House

The House of Hay of Yester constructed Yester House near Gifford in East Lothian. Begun in 1699, this spectacular Palladian mansion was held by the Hay family from the 15th century until the late 1960s, and its gardens are protected.

Symbols & Identifiers: The Heraldry and Lore of Clan Hay

• The Clan Motto: Serva Jugum (Latin for "Keep the Yoke"). This immortalizes the Legend of Luncarty (referencing the oxen yokes used to rally the Scots) and symbolizes their loyal service as Hereditary Lord High Constables.
• The Plant Badge: Mistletoe (Viscum album). The fortunes of the Perthshire Hays were believed to be linked to the mistletoe growing on the ancient Oak of Errol. According to Thomas the Rhymer's prophecy, the Hays would flourish only as long as the mistletoe remained on the Oak of Errol.
• The Crest: Issuing out of a crest coronet, a falcon volant Proper, armed, jessed, and belled Or.
• The Tartan: The principal Modern Hay Tartan is a pattern of red, green, and yellow (first in Vestiarium Scoticum, 1842). The oldest registered sett is the Leith-Hay tartan, recorded in the Cockburn Collection between 1810 and 1815. Members also wear the green-and-blue Hunting Hay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clan Hay a Highland or Lowland clan?

Historically, Clan Hay is classified as a Lowland Scottish clan. While their ancestral lands are located in Perthshire, East Lothian, and Aberdeenshire, their close alliances, extensive territories, and cultural integration have given them a significant presence throughout Scotland.

What is the Clan Hay war cry?

The traditional war cry and battle slogan of Clan Hay is "A Hay! A Hay! A Hay!", which was roared by clansmen as they charged into battle.

Who is the current Chief of Clan Hay?

The current Chief of the clan is the Right Honourable Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll, who has served since 1978 and represents the living continuity of this ancient Scoto-Norman lineage.

What is the significance of the "Falcon Stone" to the Hays?

The Falcon Stone is an ancient stone located at St. Madoes in Perthshire. According to legend, it marks the exact spot where a royal falcon landed after the Battle of Luncarty, delineating the boundaries of the vast lands granted to the Hays by a grateful King Kenneth III.

References

• Black, G. F. (1946). The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History. New York, NY: New York Public Library.
• Boece, H. (1527). Historia Gentis Scotorum [History of the Scottish People]. Paris.
• Burke, J. (1832). A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. London, UK: Henry Colburn.
• Coventry, M. (2008). The Castles of Scotland (4th ed.). Musselburgh, UK: Goblinshead.
• Frazer, J. G. (1890). The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion. London, UK: Macmillan.
• Paul, J. B. (1907). The Scots Peerage: Founded on Wood's Edition of Sir Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland. Edinburgh, UK: David Douglas.
• Way, G., & Squire, R. (1994). Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. Glasgow, UK: HarperCollins.