Highland

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom

HIGHLAND

Highland Area Council

Additions : 1996 Highland Regional Council with districts Badenoch and Strathspey, Caithness, Inverness, Lochaber, Nairn, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsch

Official blazon

Per saltire Argent and Azure: on a saltire Gules between three barrulets wavy Azure in chief and a Lochaber axe paleways Sable, the shaft surmounted of a branch of oak Vert, acorns Or, in base, and a galley Or, the sail thereof charged with a raven Sable, in the dexter flank, a castle triple-towered, embattled Argent, masoned Sable, window and port Gules, in sinister flank, a lion rampant Argent in dexter chiel a water bouget of the Last in sinister chiei an antique crown Or in dexter base, and a mullet of the Last in sinister base; over all at the fess point on an inescutcheon 0r, the figure of Our Lord Proper upon a cross Sable.

Above the Shield is placed a Coronet appropriate to a statutory Area Council, videlicet:- issuant from a circlet eight paling piles (three and two halves visible) Or and eight garbs (four visible) of the Last, banded Sable; on a Compartment below the Shield are set for Supporters. dexter, a stag Or, and sinister, a unicorn Argent, armed, maned and unguled Or, and gorged with a collar Gules, from which is pendant an oval badge Azure, fimbriated Or, charged with a saltire Argent.

Origin/meaning

The arms are granted on February 11, 1997.

The Highlands Council, the new arms of the unitary Council includes symbols from the previous Highlands Regional Council (the Supporters and gold Star) and each of the constituent former District Councils: Caithness - lymphad with black raven on sail), Ross & Cromarty (silver lion), Sutherland ( castle - and crown), Lochaber (lochaber axe with oak leaves), Inverness (crucified Christ), Badenoch & Strathspey (antique crown), Nairn (black water bouget), Skye & Lochalsh (wavy bars - and Castle).

The red saltire represents the St Andrew's cross of Scotland. The gold coronet signifies the new unitary area Councils, and is modelled on the former County Councils' green coronet with gold wheatsheaves.

Highland Regional Council

Additions : 1975 Argyll County Council (partly), Caithness County Council, Cromdale, Grantown-on-Spey, Inverness County Council (partly), Nairn County Council, Ross and Cromarty County Council (partly), Sutherland County Council

Official blazon

Azure, a saltire Argent, surmounted at the fess point by an inescutcheon Gules, fimbriated Or, and charged with a star Argent, a bordure counter compony of the First and Second.

Above the Shield is placed a coronet appropriate to a statutory Region, videlicet:- a circlet richly chased, from which are issuant four thistles leaved (one and two halves visible) Or; and on a Compartment below the Shield are set for Supporters, dexter, a stag Or, and sinister, a unicorn Argent, armed, maned and unguled Or, and gorged with a collar Gules, from which is pendant an oval badge Azure, fimbriated Or, charged with a saltire Argent.

Origin/meaning

The arms are granted on July 25, 1975.

The council shows a St. Andrew's cross for Scotland within a bordure and a red esutcheon. The star on the escutcheon is taken from the arms of a number of Highland families, like Sutherland, Brodie and Macrae, as well as the arms of the historical province of Moray.
The supporters show a Highland stag and the unicorn, common to all Regional Council arms. The base shows the Highland ferns.

Literature : Urquhart, 1979 ; 2001