Limited Partnership: Clan Societies and the National Trust for Scotland
- Bart Forbes
- 2 hours ago
- 7 min read
Scotland’s castles, battlefields, estates, and landscapes are not static relics—they are living archives. For clan and family societies, these sites offer tangible connections to lineage, lore, and leadership. Whether it’s the ancestral seat of a chief, a battlefield where kin stood together, or a glen that nurtured generations, these places hold emotional and historical gravity. When clan societies formally link themselves to such sites—through signage, events, interpretation, or stewardship—they transform memory into presence.
In theory, clan and family societies would be the natural partners with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) for preserving and interpreting the historic sites that once shaped their ancestors’ lives. In fact, only a limited number of societies are supported by the NTS.
Clan and Family Heritage Sites
The NTS is Scotland’s largest conservation charity, responsible for over 100 properties and 270,000 acres of land. Its mission is to protect and promote Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage. In 2000, the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (NTS-USA) was created as a not‑for‑profit 501(c)(3) corporation. The NTS-USA serves as an independent sister organization to the National Trust for Scotland, with the mission to encourage Americans to support the conservation of Scotland’s cultural and natural heritage
Kristin Bridier, Executive Director of NTS-USA, provided COSCA with detailed information on each NTS property concerning the donor, primary family connection, linkages to branches of that family, and connections by marriage to other clans and families. COSCA created online databases with this information.
Many of the most visited NTS properties in 2024 are directly connected to the history of Scottish clans and families: Glenfinnan Monument (MacDonald); Culloden Visitor Centre (Forbes of Culloden); The Hermitage (Murray, Duchess of Atholl); Culzean Castle & Country Park (Kennedy), Robert Burns Birthplace Museum (Burns); Crathes Castle (Burnet of Leys); and House of Dun (Erskine of Dun). Many other sites were donated by family members, such as Fyvie Castle (Forbes-Leith), Drum Castle (Irvine of Drum), and Craigievar Castle (Forbes-Sempill). (See COSCA database of Clan Heritage Sites managed by the NTS here: https://www.cosca.scot/sites-1).
Many other clans and families are connected to these sites through marriage or other connections. The top clans and families associated with NTS properties include Forbes (16 linkages), Gordon (9), Hamilton (9), Murray (9), Douglas (7), Keith (6), Brodie (5), Burnet (5), and Stewart (5). (See COSCA database of Clan Heritage Sites by Families here: https://www.cosca.scot/sitefamily).
A few clan and family societies receive preferential treatment at the heritage sites themselves, but most do not. For example, NTS sells Irwin crest and tartan merchandise at their property, Drum Castle. At Crathes Castle, the NTS has a Burnett Clan Room that displays copies of the House of Burnett newsletter, The Burnett Banner.
Clan Partner Program
To maintain these properties, the NTS had a total income of approximately £70 million for the year ending February 2025. NTS-USA reported revenues of $1.19 million and expenses of $1.06 million for the fiscal year ending June 2024.
In 2020, the NTS-USA created the Clan Partners program to raise funds from clan and family societies, which have far fewer resources. Depending on size, Clan Partners donated either $250 or $500 to receive a discount of 15% off NTSUSA membership for every member of the Society and a listing on the NTS-USA website.
Of the 122 active societies that file with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, 107 (88%) file a Form 990-N because their annual revenues are under $50,000.
In the first year, five of these clan and family societies joined the program: Clan Forbes Society, Clan Irwin Association, Clan MacLaren Society of North America, Clan MacRae Society of North America, and Clan Sinclair USA. The Scots’ Charitable Society also joined the effort.
By the end of 2022, a total of 12 societies (plus Scots’ Charitable Society) had joined: Family of Bruce International; House of Burnett; Clan Cumming Society of the United States; Clan Forbes Society, Inc.; Clan Irwin Association; Clan MacFarlane Worldwide; Clan MacKinnon Society; Clan MacLachlan Association of North America; Clan MacLaren Society of North America; Clan MacRae Society of North America; Clan Scott Society; and Clan Sinclair USA. By the end of 2025, the clan and family societies were reduced to eight: Clan Buchanan Society International, Family of Bruce International, Clan Forbes Society, Clan Irwin Association, Clan MacKinnon Society, Clan MacLaren Society of North America, Clan MacRae Society of North America, and Clan Scott Society.
COSCA Survey of Clan Societies
In November 2025, COSCA researched the perception of the NTS, NTS-USA, and the Clan Partnership program. Inquiries were sent to over 250 representatives of 42 clan and family societies that represented the families associated with NTS heritage sites or that were members of the Clan Partnership program at one time. Most of the responses expressed their gratitude to COSCA for compiling the databases of the NTS Clan Heritage Sites and Clan Heritage Sites by Families. Some offered specific comments.
Many expressed support for the work of the NTS, such as Charlie Sherwood, Past President of the Clan Scott Society and Board member of COSCA: “We obviously believe in the mission of the NTS; To protect, care for, share and speak up for Scotland’s magnificent heritage, Scotland’s largest membership organisation and independent of government.”
Some also share information about the NTS. Mark McLaren, Past President of the Clan MacLaren Society of North America, said that “We periodically remind our membership of our partnership with NTS-USA and the benefits that they can take advantage of in our newsletter and it has a permanent reference on our website.” Sherwood also noted that he shares information at Highland Games.
As for the benefits of the Clan Partnership program, McLaren noted that “We do not show any web traffic visiting our website from the NTS-USA page. NTS-USA did a feature on Clan MacLaren and our society being a clan partner in one of their newsletters a few years ago.”
Bart Forbes, President of the Clan Forbes Society and Board member of COSCA, reported that his members are keenly interested in preservation. His Society donated $10,000 to preserve an old kirk where five past clan chief members were memorialized. However, he observed that “I am not aware of any of our members who have used the NTS-USA discount, and the Society website received only four referrals, in all of 2024. This is compared to 42 from the COSCA website and 51 from the ScotlandShop website.”
Sherwood made the same observation when he told the NTS-USA “that the 15% off membership for Clan members is of no consequence.”
Building Stronger Partnerships
In trying to build a more reciprocal partnership, Forbes requested specific recommendations to both the NTS and NTS-USA, such as:
Offer sales of crest and tartan merchandise Forbes-related properties, as the Clan Irwin Association enjoys at Drum Castle.
Create a display of Clan Forbes memorabilia and newsletters at Forbes-associated properties, similar to the House of Burnett exhibit at Crathes Castle
Publish articles featuring the Clan Forbes society in its quarterly print publication
Mount a webpage dedicated to the Clan Forbes Society (such as offered by the ScotlandShop for free)
Print a small display advertisement in its quarterly print publication (as offered by the Scottish Banner for an annual cost of $75 per year or by Scotland Magazine for $225.)
Regarding on-site displays at Craigievar Castle, Mr. James Henderon, NTS Operations Manager – Aberdeenshire South, responded that “we welcome support on research in relation to the history of our properties.” He added that “our approach is about connecting historical significance with the interests of our visitors” and “that may or may not be clan history.”
He noted that “clan merchandise has been trialled at a variety of sites and not all were successful, so again the central retail buying team take it on a case by case basis and measure the sales per linear meter in comparison with core product.”
On including clan materials in NTS publications, he assured Forbes that “This is something I’ve picked up with the account manager and will revert once they are back from annual leave.”
For his part, Forbes suggests that his Society could provide display advertisements in its publications, a webpage dedicated to the NTS properties linked to the society, handouts and displays in tents at Highland Games, and opportunities to discuss NTS properties during Zoom Clan Gatherings.
Broadening the Vision
The clan and family societies that responded to the COSCA data call were generally supportive of the work of NTS and offered ways they work together in the future.
John Duff, Past President of Clan MacFarlane Worldwide, observed that his society “would like to have some kind of heritage center but obviously it would be expensive to maintain especially overseas unless it was shared with other groups or clans.” He suggested that “perhaps NTS might come up with some kind of solution for clan displays at one of their properties in Scotland.”
Michael T McAlpin, Commander of the House of MacAlpine, agreed with this approach and opined that “we may well see if we can interact with NTS about some MacAlpine areas in the Kilmartin area.”
James Burnett of Leys also concurred: "It would be good to have such a location as many other clans have such a presence in some form. Burnetts are relatively humble in size as is our family room, but the practicability with regard to management, access and staffing dictates the suitability of location."
Building Trust Through Partnership
Modern clan societies are increasingly international, with members scattered across continents. Linking to NTS sites provides a focal point for identity and in-person visits. A strong connection would allow societies to offer members a “home” in Scotland—one that is not abstract, but rooted in stone, soil, and story. For the NTS, these partnerships bring passionate stakeholders, fresh audiences, and deeper context to their properties.
Clan societies bring more than money or manpower—they bring meaning. Their oral histories, archival research, and cultural practices can enrich NTS sites with layers of interpretation that go beyond architectural or ecological significance. A castle becomes not just a structure, but a stage for resilience, kinship, and leadership.
In an age of fragmentation and fast forgetting, the alliance between clan societies and heritage institutions such as the NTS offers a model of continuity. Stronger partnerships are a way to honor the past — to make tradition a tool for connection, education, and cultural vitality.
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