Clan Strathcairn — The Standing Cairn

“Stone Holds. Kin Stand.”

Strathcairn tradition begins with three stones raised above the glen after a bitter winter. Three scattered households had shared their remaining grain, sheltered one another’s children and sworn that none would face the next winter alone. Their descendants adopted the cairn as their emblem.

Over generations, the family became keepers of the upper grazing lands, known for dependable spearmen, carefully maintained boundaries and a stubborn attachment to old promises.

Chief Ewan Strathcairn inherited that reputation—and a troublesome dispute over Greywater Ford. He believes his family’s right to the crossing was settled long before his grandfather’s birth. Mairi, who manages the household’s stores and dealings, would rather find the missing agreement than pay for another feud.

Their neighbours call the Strathcairns immovable. The Strathcairns consider that a compliment.