Below is a diagram of the Coat of Arms of the Mackintosh of Mackintosh. This is not the actual drawing from the

Office of the Lord Lyon, but a modern representation of it for explanatory purposes.

  • Motto - Only the words (if any)
  • Motto Design - The placement, banner, and type style are at the artist's discretion
  • The Crest - What appears above the helmet
  • The Wreath or Torse - A rope with six parts, using the first two colors or tinctures
  • The Shield Elements - The charges that appear on the shield, their placement, and color
  • The Helm or Helmet - Rarely is the type of helmet identified, such as a peer's helm
  • Shield Shape or Angle - The shape changed through the centuries at the discretion of the herald and artists
  • Supporters - Usually two animals, birds, or persons appearing on either side of the shield
  • The Mantle or Mantling - The decoration outside the shield. Differs depending on the artist
  • Name Design - The Placement and banner (if any), and type style dependent on the artist

The above depicts the Coat of Arms of the Mackintosh of Mackintosh. It is entirely under the ownership of that particular person and no other. It is essentially the signature of the Armiger. Scottish common law says that anyone using the above COA can have it forcibly removed by the Armiger (a tattoo, for example, can be flayed off of the offender and no crime has been committed by the Armiger of the Name).


The Coat of Arms is designed to tell the history of the Armiger. The Mackintosh charges are: 1) the Rampant Lion used to denote the relation to ancient royalty, 2) The bloody hand holding the heart depicts the heart of Robert the Bruce and the Mackintosh loyalty to him. 3) The Boars Head depicts the Mackintosh connection to the House of Gordon through marriage, and 4) The Sable (black) lymphad of pre-1947 depicts the Mackintoshes as originating from the Lord of the Isles, The Azure (blue) lymphad of post-1947 depicts the connection to the Chattan Confederation.

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