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Cap Badge
Kilt pin
Plaid Brooch
Tie pin
Cuff links
Sgian Dubh
The Frasers of Lovat descend from Sir Simon Fraser, brother of Sir Alexander, chamberlain of Robert the Bruce. It is thought that Sir Simon Fraser married the heiress to the Bisset lands around Beauly, and this is how the family of Lovat came to be settled there. The first certain record linking the lands of Lovat to the Frasers is in 1367 when Hugh Fraser is styled ‘dominus de Loveth et portionarius de Ard’ (lord of Lovat and portioner of Ard). The Gaelic patronymic of the Lovat Frasers is ‘MacShimi’, meaning ‘son of Simon’.. Around 1422, the Frasers acquired lands at Stratherrick by Loch Ness, together with part of Glenelg. Some time between 1456 and 1464, Hugh Fraser was raised to the peerage as Lord Lovat or Lord Fraser of Lovat. Around 1511, the chiefs established their seat at Beaufort Castle, which is still inhabited by them. The ninth Lord Lovat had four daughters hut no son, and his widow arranged a marriage for Amelia, the eldest daughter and heiress, with the Master of Saltoun When his father was travelling to Castle Dounie to discuss the marriage details with Lady Lovat, Amelia’s uncle, Thomas Fraser of Beaufort, and his son, Simon, later eleventh Lord Lovat, kidnapped him. At least one battalion (and some authorities say two) of Frasers fought at Culloden Moor in April 1746. They suffered heavy losses, and the whole Fraser country was ravaged by the troops of the Duke of Cumberland. MacShimi was captured at Loch Morar and taken to London, where he was beheaded on Tower Hill on 9 April 1747. His title and estates were declared forfeit. In 1899 Lord Lovat raised the Lovat Scouts to fight in the Boer War. The Scouts saw service in the First World War and in the Second, where MacShimi became a distinguished commando leader, being awarded both the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross. In 1951 a great gathering of over four thousand Frasers and ex-Lovat Scouts was attended by both Lord Lovat and Lord Saltoun. |
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