Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland

The Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, established in 1672, is an official register of Scottish coats of arms maintained by the Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records. As a public register, it can be seen by anyone on application, and on payment of a statutory fee. History The Register was established by Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1672. It is held at the Court of the Lord Lyon, and contains every grant of arms by Lord Lyon King of Arms since that date, as well as older coats of arms that the owners have chosen to register. Bearings that are not matriculated in the Register may not be used in Scotland, unless it can be proved that they were in use before 1672. The first volume of the Register (now divided into two parts for ease of handling and conservation reasons) continued in use from 1672 until 1804, and contains 2,702 entries. It begins with the arms of the Lyon Office, followed by the personal achievement of Sir Charles Erskine, Bt, who was Lord Lyon at the time. Most of the arms in this volume are given in blazon only: relatively few are painted. From the beginning of the second volume in 1804 the arms are consistently painted. The Register now consists of over eighty volumes of parchment, and is illustrated by a succession of the most prominent heraldic artists working in Scotland.