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A Brief History Clan Nicolson

The Nicolson clan is a lowland clan with the motto ‘Generositate’ (‘By generosity’). The name itself means ‘son of Nicol’ or ‘Nicolas’ and comes from the Greek for ‘victorious one’.

The clan originates from the Isle of Lewis. The earliest records list John Son of Nicail as the first chief, who fought for control of the Hebrides against the Norwegian King of Mann.

Haakon IV, the last Norse king to invade Scotland, dispatched an advanced force led by Anders Nicolassen, pillaging Bute before joining the main fleet around Largs in 1263. The Norsemen were driven out, however, it’s said that Nicolassen remained in Scotland, after being sent as a messenger from Norway to complete the Treaty of Perth in 1266. This ultimately gave sovereignty of the Hebrides to the kings of Scotland.

The Nicolson tartan incorporates reds and greens with blue linework and is available in both ancient and modern variants, alongside hunting, muted and weathered options.