Clan Buchanan

Highland Scottish clan

Clan Buchanan (Na Cananaich ) is a Highlands Scottish Clan whose origins are said to lie in the 1225 grant of lands on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond to clergyman Sir Absalon of Buchanan by the Earl of Lennox.

The name is said to derive from Macauselan (meaning son of Anselan). The following two names are given as the root of the territorial name Buchanan, Mac a Chanonaich (The Son of the Canon) and Buth Chanain (meaning house or seat of the canon).

Traditionally, the clan's origin myth traced the chiefly line back to Anselan O Kyan, who was of the Irish clan Ó Catháin, a provincial king of north Ulster (and had his seat in Limavady, in present day County Londonderry). He is said to have landed in Argyll in 1016. According to this tradition, for his services against the Danes he received from king Malcolm II the lands of Buchanan, which lie to the east of Loch Lomond around the village of Killearn. During the reign of Malduin, Mormaer (Earl) of Lennox, 1217–1250, Anselan (third of that name) was granted, in 1225, the island of Clairinch. (Clár Inis). He is referred to as 'clericus meus', meaning 'my clergyman'. He is subsequently recorded as Absalom de Buchanan and it is understood that to have this title, there must have been other grants of land in the parish of Buchanan. During the reign of King Alexander II (1214–1249), Gilbert de Buchanan, seneschal to the Earl of Lennox, received, in 1231, a charter confirming Clareinch (or Clairinch) and other lands in Buchanan. Further proving this account as only myth, a special meeting was held on 23 January 2021 for the Council of the Clan Buchanan Society International (CBSI), wherein Clan President, David Byrne, informed all present members, " that origin myth has been in our history books and in our tents forever. Auchmar, in his history of the clan, was the one who really pushed that forward and it's the one everyone has clung to. It is a great story. The problem is that it's not accurate. It didn't happen. From the yDNA Project, run by Ross Buchanan (in Ireland) and Alex Buchanan (in Tasmania), with all the people who participated in that (including the MacAuslans and Buchanans), there is not a single individual whose DNA matches up with any yDNA in Ireland. The male lines all show that the Clan Buchanan was located on the shores of Loch Lomond, in the Auld Kingdom of Alba, well before the year 1000 (A. D.) and possibly going way beyond that. There is no historical evidence that Anselan, the prince, ever existed in Ireland. There are no history books that mention him or support the fact that he even existed. How or why the myth, the origin was created we don't know so, that changes everything. It means that the Clan Buchanan is an old Scottish clan, not an old Irish clan. That means that our people have been in Scotland, particularly in Stirlingshire and on the shores of Loch Lomond, for thousands of years; not 1,000 years." According to the official publication provided to the Clan Buchanan Society International, "There is a strong DNA link to the Clan Gregor which seems to indicate a common ancestor around the year 400 A. D." This discovery made through extensive genetic testing information collected provides further proof of the existence of Clan Buchanan well before any previously thought of origin myth.

Unenviable William Wallace Link. Sir Maurice Buchanan 10th of Buchanan married Margaret Menteith. Margaret was the daughter of Sir Walter Menteith of Rusky, and granddaughter of Sir John of Menteith, Sheriff of Dunbarton Castle, and Helena daughter of Gartnait, Earl of Mar. Sir John is reputed to have betrayed Sir William Wallace to King Edward I of England on 5 Aug 1305. Sir John was imprisoned by king Robert I but in 1314 "through influence of his sons in law; Malice, Earl of Strathern; Sir Archibald Campbell, of Lochow; and Maurice Buchanan, of Buchanan, he was released immediately before the Battle of Bannockburn, where he deported himself valiantly on the part of the Scottish king." Sir John was also a signatory to the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. During the Wars of Scottish Independence the Clan Buchanan supported King Robert the Bruce by aiding his escape in 1306, the chief, Maurice 9th of Buchanan, refused to sign the Ragman Roll, and the chief and lairds of the clan (and presumably their clansmen) served under Malcolm the Earl of Lennox. It is tradition and likely given the aforementioned service, but ill documented, that the clan fought at the Battle of Bannockburn. During the reign of King David II (1324–1371), undated, at least part of the lands of Buchanan belonged to Sir Gilbert Carrick. During the reign of Donald Mormaer (Earl) of Lennox (1333–1365), and confirmed by King David II in 1370/71, "Confirmation is of a charter by Donald, Earl of Lennox, in favour of Maurice Buchanan, son and heir of late Maurice Buchanan, of that carucate of land called Buchanan with Sallochy, with these bounds ie Akehin up to Aldmarr [Auchmar] just as it descends below the water of Hanerch [Endrick], and the land of Sallochy, with these bounds, from Sallochy all along to Kelg and then it descends to the water of Lochlomon [Loch Lomond], to hold in fee and with the freedom to hold as many courts with jurisdiction of life and limb as he may wish."

During the Anglo Scottish Wars the Clan Buchanan fought against the English at the Battle of Flodden in 1513 where the chief's elder son Patrick was killed. However, Patrick had already married a daughter of the Earl of Argyll and had two sons and daughters.

Title of the Chief. The two main Clan historians, Buchanan of Auchmar writing in 1723 uses the term 'Laird of Buchanan', while Guthrie Smith writing in 1896 uses the term 'Laird of Buchanan' to describe the chiefs up to and including Sir Maurice the 10th of Buchanan and then 'Buchanan of that Ilk' up to and including Sir George the 15th of Buchanan and thereafter Buchanan of Buchanan. The chief of a Highland clan could be referred to as the 'Laird of', meaning the head of the clan (a patrimonial title), e. g. Laird of Buchanan. The title 'of that Ilk' was historically used by both Highland and Lowland clans to indicate head or chiefship (again a patrimonial title), e. g. Buchanan of that Ilk. However, in the early 19th century 'of that Ilk' fell out of favour with Highland chiefs who adopted a duplication of the patronymic, regardless of the ownership of territory or estate, e. g. Buchanan of Buchanan. Given the current Highland practice, Buchanan of Buchanan is likely to be the preferred contemporary title but for ease of reading and clarity, 'nth' of Buchanan is used in the following paragraphs. Both the spelling Buchanan and Buchannan are used interchangeably in historical documents.

The first six Clan Chiefs are poorly represented in historical records and are included by some Clan historians and omitted by others. Buchanan of Auchmar and Guthrie Smith commence their respective numbering of Chiefs at a different person and describe a different order and number of Chiefs following Sir Walter 11th of Buchanan. In part, this is due to the heir apparent not succeeding to the chiefship before he dies and chiefship passing directly from grandfather to grandchild. The following lineage reconciles Guthrie Smith and Buchanan of Auchmar and their respective numbering is in parentheses. 1st – Anselan O'Kyan, in the service of Malcolm II of Scotland from whom he received a grant of land in Lennox. He married an heiress of Denniestoun and by her had a son, John. 2nd – John, whose son and successor was Anselan. 3rd – Anselan, whose son and successor was Walter. 4th – Walter, and obtained the charter for the Loch Lomond island of Clairinch (the Clan's call to war and alternately rendered as Clairinsh or Clar Innis), had three sons (Gilbert his successor, Methlin the ancestor of the MacMillans, and Coleman the ancestor of the MacColemans). (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 2nd Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 8th Chief) whose son and successor was Maurice. 9th – Sir Maurice Buchanan (dec. about 1370), (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 3rd Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 9th Chief) had three sons (Maurice his successor, Allan who married the heiress of Leny and John the first ancestor of the cadets of Auchneiven). Hugh Peskett's charts of the Buchanan chiefly lineage in the 2016 petition to the Lord Lyon King of Arms for Scotland shows this Maurice as the 10th Chief. 10th – Sir Maurice Buchanan (dec. 1373), (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 5th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 11th Chief) married Margaret and had three sons (Walter his successor, Alexander who reputedly killed the Duke of Clarence at the Battle of Baugé on 21 March 1421 and who later died in the battle of Verneuil in 1424, and John [Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 12th Chief ] who married Janet the heiress of Leny and was the first ancestor of the cadets of Leny). Hugh Peskett's charts show this Walter as the 12th Chief from 1373. 12th – Sir Walter Buchanan, Drumikill and Carbeth) and one daughter. He married secondly to Isobel Stewart, daughter of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany. Hugh Peskett's charts show this Walter as the 13th Chief. 13th – Patrick Buchanan (dec. bef. 1477), (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 7th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 14th Chief) married Jonet Cunningham of Galbraith and by her a son (Walter his successor) and a daughter (Anabella). He also had an illegitimate son (Patrick). Hugh Peskett's charts show this Patrick as the 14th Chief. 14th – Sir Walter Buchanan (dec. 1526), (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 8th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 15th Chief) married Isobel Graham and by her four sons (Patrick [Guthrie Smith identifies him as 9th Chief but then goes on to advise that the Chiefship passed from Patrick's father to Patrick's son and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 16th Chief who married Elizabeth Livingston and by her had George (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 13th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 20th Chief) known for his frequent travels to foreign nations and other extravagances put the estate into much debt, married Annabel Erskin and by her two sons (George his successor and Walter). Hugh Peskett's Chief numbering should continue with John as the 18th Chief. 18th – Sir George Buchanan, (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 14th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 21st Chief) married Elizabeth Preston and by her a son (John his successor) and three daughters (Helen, Agnes and Jean). Sir George commanded the Stirlingshire Regiment in the Civil Wars of Charles I, fought at the battle of Dunbar, and was taken prisoner at Inverkeithing. He died in prison in 1651. Hugh Peskett's Chief numbering should continue with George as the 19th Chief. 19th – John Buchanan, (Guthrie Smith identifies him as 15th Chief and Buchanan of Auchmar identifies him as 22nd Chief) married in 1653 Mary Erskine and by her a daughter (Elizabeth). After the death of Mary, he married in 1677 Jean Pringle and by her had a daughter (Janet). When he died in 1681, he left no male heirs. He made two attempts to pass the chiefship to suitable candidates by arranging their marriage to his oldest daughter (Elizabeth). Firstly to Robert Buchanan, Advocate (the son of John Buchanan of Arnprior), and secondly to Major George Grant (details in a following section). In both cases, Elizabeth refused these arranged marriages. Consequently, no arrangement was finalised by which chiefship could be passed on to the descendants of his daughter. He inherited significant debt and during his chiefship, significant parts of the Buchanan Estate were sold, and the final portions of it were lost due to defaulting on creditors. With the lack of male heirs, the direct chiefly line ended at this time. Hugh Peskett's Chief numbering should continue with John as the 20th Chief.

A petition to claim the chiefship of Clan Buchanan was lodged with the Court of the Lord Lyon in December 2016 and in August 2018 Lord Lyon allowed the petition thus recognising John Michael Baillie Hamilton Buchanan as the chief of Clan Buchanan. After a gap of 337 years, the clan now has a recognised chief. The Lord Lyon was satisfied that the petitioner:

is the senior representative of the cadet branch of the chiefly line known as Buchanan of Leny, and that the remaining cadet branches of the chiefly line; namely Buchanan of Auchmar and Buchanan of Spittall, are extinct in law and in fact. (Descendants of Thomas Buchanan of Gartencaber were excluded from consideration because the C15th documents that purport to link him to the chiefly line were demonstrated to be forgeries.) has association with the chiefly lands of Strathyre and that these were conferred on him in an unbroken chain of inheritance. In circumstances like this, the "Jeffery" Principle can be applied.

The reputed burial ground of the chiefs of Clan Buchanan is in the grounds of the Old Buchanan Parish Church This church, the Chapel of St Mary & St Michael, served as a parish church after the abandonment of Inchcailleach in 1621 until a new church, in Milton of Buchanan, was built about 1764. Nothing now remains of the original chapel.

The following four people have been cited as chief of Clan Buchanan but none appears to have been formally recognised by the Court of the Lord Lyon (the heraldry court of Scotland). Before addressing the claims to chiefship it is necessary to establish how the office and title of Chief are passed to succeeding generations in Scotland. Patrilineal Descent. Firstly, the office and title are usually passed patrilineally (from father to child) in descending order of male birth then descending order of female birth, hence the oldest surviving son is the heir presumptive. If the heir presumptive produces no heirs, then on the heir presumptive's death the office and title go to the next younger son, etc., then the eldest daughter, etc. The term 'cadet' is used to describe family groups that are descendants of younger sons, thus the oldest surviving son of each generation maintains the main or principal family line, and younger sons establish cadet lines. In the case of the chiefly line of Buchanan, the first recognised cadet was Buchanan of Auchneiven and the last was Buchanan of Auchmar. Cadets can have their own cadets, e. g. Buchanans of Drumpellier, Auchintorlie, Craigend and Hillington are cadets of Buchanan of Leny through Gartacharne. When chiefly line is extinguished, the most recent cadet line to branch off the chiefly line becomes the new chiefly line. Maintenance of Surname. Secondly the office and title are implicitly linked to the surname, thus a McKay, a Cairns, etc. cannot be chief of Clan Buchanan. In some cases, where the heir is a daughter, arrangements have been made so that her husband and children assume her surname, and thus the office and title can be passed to her offspring. This practice has given rise to the use of compound (hyphenated or 'double barrelled') names. The matter of principal names was established by the Lord Lyon Innes of Learney when in the case of Monro Lucas Tooth that he was a Tooth rather than a Monro or Lucas. It is now clearly established that it is the last name that decides the matter. Thus by the Court of the Lord Lyon, a Moodie Buchanan is considered a Buchanan but a Buchanan Moodie is considered a Moodie. Further, in the case of a chief as the representer of the family, the surname cannot be a compound surname.

Neither Guthrie Smith nor Buchanan of Auchmar identify him as a chief (hence why John Buchanan is the last recognised chief); however, Buchanan of Auchmar advises that John Buchanan transferred "his estate to an old comrade of his, Major George Grant, Governor of Dumbarton Castle, with this provision, that the Major should marry his eldest daughter, and assume the name and arms of Buchanan; reserving his own life rent and his lady's jointure, and settling the estate so as to return to Buchanan's heirs male, and, failing heirs of Grant's own body, to Buchanan's heirs whatsoever ."

Sir Walter Scott in 1830, cites Francis Buchanan of Arnpryor (alternate spelling: Arnprior), who was executed at Carlisle on 18 Oct 1746 for high treason for his role in the Jacobite uprising, as being the chief of the family Buchanan. Jesse (1846), Fillan (1849), The Scottish Antiquary (1890) and a history of Clan MacNab (1899) cites Francis Buchanan of Arnprior as being the Chief of Clan Buchanan. Francis Buchanan of Arnprior was the grandson of the John Buchanan of Arnprior who was the manager of the estate of John Buchanan of Buchanan (the last recognised Clan Chief who died c1681). Prior to the Chief's second marriage (1677), he had arranged for Elizabeth, the only child of his first marriage, to wed Robert Buchanan, son of John Buchanan of Arnprior, and in due course inherit the Buchanan estate and chiefship – a bond of Tailzie. This marriage did not take place and the arrangement was cancelled. Francis Buchanan of Arnprior married Elizabeth Buchanan, who was the daughter of Janet Buchanan, who was the second daughter of John Buchanan of Buchanan, i. e. Elizabeth was the granddaughter of John Buchanan of Buchanan (the only child of the Chief's second marriage). The Clan historian, William Buchanan of Auchmar, a contemporary of Francis Buchanan of Arnprior, notes that Francis Buchanan owned part of the old Buchanan lands William Buchanan of Auchmar in his history of the clan, published in 1723, details a case that all cadet lines, except one, from George 15th of Buchanan to John Buchanan 19th of Buchanan had expired and on the death of the latter, the chiefship devolved to the cadet line most recently separated from the chiefly line, Buchanan of Auchmar, thus he, William Buchanan of Auchmar, is the chief of Clan Buchanan and that Nisbet is wrong in asserting that Buchanan of Leny is representer of the chiefly line. In Nisbet's (posthumously published) A System of Heraldry Vol 2, 1742, he recognises Buchanan of Auchmar as the successor of the chiefly line. In the 1826 claim for the chiefship by Dr Francis Buchanan Hamilton, the extinction of both the main chiefly line and the Auchmar line are identified as preconditions to the claim. The later Clan historian, John Guthrie Smith, omits any reference to Buchanan of Auchmar's claim when he details the Buchanans of Auchmar. William Buchanan. William Buchanan of Auchmar married in 1696 Jean Buchanan and by her three sons (John and Bernard who died before their father, and Alexander his successor) and three daughters (Janet, Katherine and Helen) who survived infancy. William died in 1747. Alexander Buchanan. James Buchanan sold the right of redemption for the estate of Auchmar. He died without an heir in 1816. This line is now recognised as extinguished.

With the expiration of the Auchmar cadet line and in the absence of other contenders, it is claimed that in 1828 that Dr. Francis Buchanan Hamilton of Spittal, Bardowie, and Leny established his claim as Chief of Clan Buchanan. Francis was the son of Thomas Buchanan of Spittal and Leny (the Leny estate and title were inherited from Thomas' first wife), and Elizabeth Hamilton of Bardowie. In 1815 Francis inherited his mother's estate and adopted the additional surname of Hamilton. His claim to Clan Buchanan chiefship comes through the Buchanan of Spittal cadet line from the fourth son of Walter 14th of Buchanan. Similar to the Buchanan of Auchmar claim, this implies that any cadet lines from Walter 14th of Buchanan through to John 19th of Buchanan are extinguished. Dr. Francis Buchanan Hamilton. Dr. Francis Buchanan Hamilton (1762–1829) married Anne Brock and by her a son (John). John Buchanan Hamilton. and London Gazette for notices pertaining to 'laird of buchanan', 'buchanan of that ilk' or 'buchanan of buchanan' and the alternate spelling of 'Buchanan' reveal no supporting evidence for either the Buchanan of Auchmar or Buchanan Hamilton claims. The Buchanan Society. The Buchanan Society maintains and publishes a list of all past and current members by year of joining and membership number, and if provided, the relationship between its members, i. e. daughter of, great grandson of, etc. The Buchanan Society Handbook 2004 lists
Francis Buchanan of Arnprior as joining (1727, #63). Estate is cited but no special status in the Clan. William Buchanan of Auchmar as joining twice (1726, #48 and 1730, #123), and his grandson William Buchanan of Auchmar joining once (1794, #256). Both cited their estate but neither cited any special status in the Clan. Francis Hamilton Buchanan of Spittal, Bardowie and Leny (1771, #213); his son, John Buchanan Hamilton of Spittal, Leny and Bardowie (1852, #410); and his grandson, John Hamilton Buchanan (Leny) Chartered Accountant (1882, #480) are likewise members of the Buchanan Society. Again estate and or occupation is listed but nothing to indicate any special status in the Clan. Public Register of the Lyon Court. The last record in the Public Register of the Lyon Court for undifferenced Arms of Buchanan (i. e., the Chief's Arms) was recorded in 1675. Arms are meant to be rematriculated within a year and a day of succession; however, it is common practice that Arms be borne on apparency, that is without matriculating the Arms, for two or three generations, beyond this it may be difficult or impossible to demonstrate heirship. So while there may have been discussions and determinations within the Clan hierarchy regarding the Clan Chief, the claims of neither Buchanan of Auchmar (1723–1816) nor Buchanan Hamilton (1828–1919) appear to have been ratified in a legal sense. Despite a lack of evidence in the form of legal notices or recognition by the Lyon Court of either the Buchanan of Auchmar and Buchanan Hamilton claims, both are known and accepted by contemporary or near contemporary authorities and authors. Noting that part of the Buchanan Hamilton claim is that the cadet branch of Buchanan of Auchmar is extinct, Buchanan Hamilton's wider cadet branch of Buchanan of Spittal would be a plausible starting point for search a hereditary claim on the chiefship of Clan Buchanan. However, in the event that a future hereditary claim is made, it is unlikely that the claim can build off either of the two earlier claims (because neither were recognised by the Lyon Court); consequently, it will be necessary to detail the claim back to 1675 and probably much earlier.

Early written renderings of the name include Balgquhannen, Balquhannan, Baquhanan, Bochannane, Bochannen, Bochanen, Bochane, Bohannon, Boquehennan, Boquhannane, Boquhennane, Bowhanan, Bowhannan, Bucchanane, Buchanane, Buchanen, Buchannan, Buchannand, Buchannane, Buchanne, Buchannen, Buchannent, Buchquhannane, Buchquannan, Buchunnuch, Bucquanane, Buquhannan, Buquhannane, Buquhannanne, and Buquannane. More recent spellings include Buckanon, Buchannon, Bocanan, Buchanan etc.

The current seat of Clan Buchanan is Cambusmore. The historic seat of the Clan is Buchanan Auld House in Stirlingshire. Buchanan Castle was built in the 19th century as a replacement for Buchanan Auld House, after the surrounding lands had passed to the Grahams in the late 17th century. Other castles and monuments of the Clan Buchanan have included: Craigend Castle and Dunglass Castle (Dunbartonshire); Northbar House (Renfrewshire); and the Buchanan Monument at Killearn.

The cadet branches in order of separation from the chiefly line: Leny, Arnprior, Spittal, and Auchmar. Two other family lines, those of the ancient Drummikill and related Carbeth families may well be related to the chiefly line, particularly when considering the Y DNA analysis. While the Y DNA analysis can show a connection to the chiefly line, the documentary evidence must also demonstrate specific genealogical links when Lord Lyon considers a legal case relating to the chiefly line. Lord Lyon does not consider Y DNA analysis. It is clear that the Drummikill and Carbeth family lines are important in the clan's history. Historically, they have been included as cadet branches of the chiefly line. However, recent expert analysis of the document that purports to show a familial relationship with the chiefly line was considered to not be sufficiently credible.

There are three contemporary organisations that represent Clan Buchanan.

The Buchanan Society is a purely charitable organisation established in 1725 in Glasgow, Scotland, for the needy of the Clan for four "approved" Septs of the Clan: Buchanan, McAuslan, McWattie and Risk. The foundation of the Society featured the great trading houses of the Clan but from all corners of the globe, contemporary clan folk and friends of the Clan of all professions and occupations support this charity. The Society is funded by an entry fee paid by each member of the Society, gifts and interest from investments. Its original charter specified charity to those of the name Buchanan and recognised septs by assisting boys to trades and those of promising genius at their studies to university. Except that girls are now eligible for assistance, the goals have remained largely unchanged. The Society has been given many Clan heirlooms. The books, records and other collections of the Society are held at the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, and Strathclyde University Library. The Society also owns the Buchanan Monument in Killearn, and the Loch Lomond island of Clairinch.

The Clan Buchanan Society International (CBSI) is a mutual interest society established in 1970 at the Grandfather Mountain Games in North Carolina to promote the celebration of being a Buchanan. Membership is by annual subscription and is greatest in the US, but as the organisation matures, new chapters are being established around the world, especially in the Oceania region. The CBSI Black Lion Banner. CBSI uses the coat of arms granted by the Lyon Court in 2002 on its official correspondence; however, it uses a self assumed coat of arms which predate the granted arms on its flag, which is called the Black Lion Banner. The Black Lion Banner has a field of gold/yellow charged with a black lion rampant with red claws and tongue shedding five silver tears all within a black double tressure flory counter flory. (This might be described in heraldic language as, "Or, a lion rampant Sable, armed and langued Gules charged with five goutte Argent all within a double tressure flory counter flory of the second.") The lion rampant on the field of gold within the double tressure flory counter flory alludes to the arms of the Clan chief and is the charge and tressure of most Buchanan arms. The silver tears refer to the sadness of the Clan at not having a chief. A variation of the Black Lion Banner is used on some CBSI apparel.

A Chief's Council of Armigers is being considered and is likely to be established at the Chief's inauguration in 2022. Its aim is to optimise the strategic leadership of the Clan in order to promote Clan interests globally with due regard for tradition, Scottish law, and contemporary needs and opportunities. The council would subscribe to the view that the principal interest of the Clan is not power, influence, glory, history, heraldry nor even honour, per se; rather, it is the encouragement of the clan folk to learn, enjoy and celebrate their unique Buchanan, Highland, Scottish heritage. It is against this interest that the council's efforts are to be evaluated.

The Lord Lyon King of Arms has now recognised a new chief of the Clan Buchanan. In August 2018 Michael Buchanan was confirmed by Lord Lyon, King of Arms, head of the Lyon Court in Scotland as Chief of the Name and Arms of Buchanan. He is the first Chief of the Clan in 337 years. The Buchanan, John Michael Buchanan of that Ilk and Arnprior, was born on 14 September 1958. He is the son of John Neil Buchanan Baillie Hamilton of Arnprior and Hon. Caroline Barbara Barrie. Michael married The Lady Buchanan, Paula Frances Hickman M. D., daughter of John Hickman, on 22 October 1994. He graduated from Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, with a Master of Arts (M. A.) Michael is the manager of Cambusmore Estate in the Southern Highlands near Callander.