Most people have never heard of Clan Buchan, and confuse the name with Buchanan. This is due, in part to the larger history of political and social upheaval in Scotland. The Buchan region is the tip of Aberdeenshire, and part of a larger area associated with powerful clans... such as the Hays, Keiths, Frasers and Comyns. In the past, it was a region of strategic and economic value, and the seat of many clans...which proved to be disastrous to Buchans in the 14th century.

Buchan was the political battleground between the two factions fighting for the Crown in the 14th century...the Bruce/Stewart and Balliol/Comyn clans. Balliol was seated in Buchan, and supported by the Comyn clan...the most powerful clan of the 13th century. The Comyns also held the Earldom of Buchan, title and lands in Buchan distributed by Kings, (which has actually never been held by a Buchan). After Bruce won the political battle for the crown, the Buchan region, long associated with his rivals, was to suffer severe reprisal. "The Harrying of Buchan", lands put to the torch, executions, etc. was to become an infamous part of Scottish history. But, history being written by those who win wars, the end result was that Buchan, an ancient region with a name that has survived at least 1500 years unchanged...goes unmentioned in the history books.

However, the good news is that internationally, as well as in the Aberdeenshire area, ours numbers have increased, and we were able to regain clan status in the 1970's. Currently, Buchans look to Chief Buchan of Auchmacoy of Ellon.

All people with the surname Buchan in their family have the right to align themselves with the Clan Buchan, and to wear the Buchan Badge (see front page). Anyone interested in researching the Clan, or simply supporting it may join the association. While Buchan is a very small clan internationally (most have never heard of it), the name is as common in Aberdeenshire as Smith is in the USA. However, Buchan is unique in the extreme age of the name/word, and the geographic location where it originated is an archeological, cultural and linguistic "hot spot".

More general history...