Officers of Arms

In addition to the Officers of the Lyon Court, viz. the Lord Lyon, Lyon Clerk, Lyon Macer and Procurator Fiscal, there are the Officers of Arms who are members of the Royal Household in Scotland. The Heralds and Pursuivants, known collectively as His Majesty’s Officers of Arms, have rights of audience before the Lord Lyon allowing them to represent clients seeking arms. Their other duties are concerned with ceremonial events and they take no part in the day-to-day running of the Office but do carry out other non-ceremonial duties, such as presiding over the election of a clan chief, at the Lyon’s discretion. Until the Act of 1867 there could be up to six Heralds and six Pursuivants in Ordinary at any one time, reduced by that Act to three of each.There are also Extraordinary Officers of Arms who may be appointed either for a specific event or for a longer period.