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Clan Bruce:         The current Chief Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin.

Gaelic Name:       Brus

Origin of name:  The surname comes from the French de Brus. Robert de Brus,

                         followed William the Conqueror to England in 1066.

Crest Badge:        A lion standing with tail extended.      

Clan Motto:         Fumis meaning (We have been).

Clan seat:             Broomhall House, Fife

Of all the names which grace the pages of Scottish history, it is that of Bruce which shines with the most radiant hue. The great Clan Bruce is forever connected with their most illustrious forefather, King Robert the Bruce, champion of Scotland’s struggle for independence, a man revered for centuries in the hearts of Scottish patriots. The Bruces originate from a powerful French family, who arrived in Britain with the Norman invasion of 1066. The first Robert de Brus, from whom the Clan descend, was a warrior noble who supported William I in his conquest of England. His son, Robert (1078-1141) became a firm friend of Scotland’s King David I and his loyalty met with great rewards. Robert was granted rich and fertile lands in Annandale, over which Bruce was created the first Lord of Annandale.

The Bruces’ claim to the throne emerged through the 4th Lord of Annandale’s marriage to King William the Lyon’s niece in the 13th Century. When the 5th Lord’s claim was overturned in favour of the puppet king John Balliol, the power of the Scottish Crown was ceded to the infamous Edward I, King of England. The 7th Lord of Annandale and 2nd Lord of Carrick, Robert the Bruce, initially stood by King Edward, but revoked his loyalty upon the English monarch’s cruel torture and execution of the patriot William Wallace. In 1306, Robert had himself crowned King, much to the chagrin of the English sovereign. Bruce’s leadership proved to be brilliant, and the flower of Scottish independence flourished under his control. In 1314, King Robert the Bruce achieved the crowning glory of the independence movement at the Battle of Bannockburn. Here the Scots defeated a larger English army and ensured that Scotland would be ruled by Scots, free from the shackles of any overlord.

In the 14th century,King David ll built the Clackmannan Tower in an area called the Kingdom of Fife. The land was granted to his illegitimate son, Robert Bruce in 1359, (and thus a grandson of King Robert the Bruce).

From these glorious beginnings, the Bruces have continued to be an honoured Clan. The Bruces natural affinity with the monarchy ensured success, and the Bruces obtained the Earldom of Elgin in 1633, followed by the Earldom of Kincardine in 1647. The Clan Bruces’ exploits have charmed Scotland down through the centuries, with James Bruce of Kinnaird being renowned for his African explorations. True to his Bruce blood, James adventured down the Nile to Abyssinia between 1768 and 1772. He survived this dangerous challenge, only to die falling down the stairs of Kinnaird House while rushing to assist a lady into her carriage. Another Bruce of note is Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, who in 1799, used his own private fortune, to reclaim the ancient Greek sculptures known as the Elgin Marbles. He presented these to the British Museum, where they can still be seen to this day. 

The current chief is Andrew Bruce, the 11^th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, and is the nearest in descent from one of the knights who came to Britain with William the Conquerer in the year 1066. He is convenor of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, and resides in Broomhall, Fife.

The old Tollbooth, Merkit Cross and King Robert's Stone can be found in the centre of Clackmannan town. The Merkit, or Market Cross is inscribed with the coat of arms of the Bruce family.

The Bruce Clan crest is of a lion and the proud Bruce clan motto reads "Fuimus" meaning in Latin "We have been"

Our Scottish Heritage is the common bond that unites our Bruce family name forever.........  

An old Gaelic proverb................‘Remember the men from whence you came’ 

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote....

"The mark of a Scot of all classes is that he remembers and cherishes the memories of his forebears, good or bad, and here burns above in him a sense of identity with the dead even to the twentieth generation."

There are many spelling variations for the Clan Bruce surname.  Included are families (known as Septs) with different surnames from the original Clan name. Throughout the centuries, surnames have continued to “develop” often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.