Scottish Heritage Clothing by House of Vere

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A brief outline of the last 200 years of our history.

Our story begins with our surname, Weir. My grandfather was James Weir. His parents were Thomas Logan Weir and Annie McDonald, who made the journey from Stoney Kirk Wigtownshire to Sussex in 1908. Thomas's parents were John Weir and Mary Logan, and this lineage descends from the McColms and Sinclairs.

Annie McDonald's parents were Andrew McDonald and Sarah Grant. My McDonald heritage hails from a charming fishing village called Moidart, descending from the McDonalds of Sleat and Castle Tioram. The McDonalds were historically known as the Lords of the Isles.

The tale of the MacDonalds of Castle Tioram is intertwined with the history of Clan Ranald, a branch of Clan Donald descended from Reginald, son of Somerled, and the powerful MacRuari heiress, Amy MacRuari. Castle Tioram, located on its tidal island in Moidart, stands not merely as an offshoot of the Lordship of the Isles but as the heart of the ancient MacRuari inheritance known as Garmoran. When John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, set aside Amy to marry a Stewart princess, their son Ranald inherited the ancient MacRuari lands—Moidart, Arisaig, Eigg, Rum, and parts of Knoydart—from which the Clan Ranald chiefs descend. The castle signifies a lineage that maintained its power not due to later Isle of Islay connections but because of the historical rights of the MacRuari line, a detail often overlooked in contemporary clan accounts.

Tioram began to rise to prominence in the fifteenth century when the Clanranald chiefs established it as their principal seat. From this stronghold, they managed the western seaways, governed their lands, and asserted independence not only from the Crown but occasionally from other branches of Clan Donald as well. Much of its early history consists of a continuous cycle of feuding, raiding, and rebuilding. The chiefs engaged in conflicts with their neighbors, cousins in Glengarry and Keppoch, and sometimes even their own internal rivals. During these tumultuous years, Tioram faced fires, sieges, retaking, and defense, serving as a maritime stronghold as much as a residence.

These families intermarried and mingled numerous times, leading to connections with other noble Scottish lines such as The Glens, Bruces, Stewarts, and Hamiltons. Today, their legacy can also be seen in modern Scottish Highlands garments available at a local tartan boutique, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the region, including the esteemed House of Vere.

The Weirs of Blackwood and Stonebyers in Lanarkshire represent one of the oldest and most established branches of the Weir family in Scotland. Holding their lands for many centuries, the Stonebyers Weirs appear throughout charters and local records as a respected Lowland lineage with strong ties to neighbouring clans and noble houses such as the McDonalds, Glens, Hamiltons, Douglases, Logans, and Muirs, along with The Stewarts and Bruces. Their presence along the Clyde formed a central part of Weir family identity, anchoring the clan firmly within the history of southern Scotland.

Within this lineage appears Ralph Vere, a figure whose surname reflects the long-standing connection between the Scottish Weirs and the ancient Anglo-Norman de Vere family — the house that produced the historic Earls of Oxford. Ralph is understood to descend from one of the cadet or collateral branches of the de Vere family: lines connected by blood to the Earls of Oxford but not inheriting the earldom itself.

In the medieval and early-modern periods, it was common for younger sons or junior branches of noble Norman houses to settle in Scotland, forming alliances through marriage, landholding, and service. The presence of Ralph Vere within the Stonebyers sphere reflects this pattern, showing how the Weir and de Vere lines came into close association long before the modern era.

This merging of the Scottish Weirs of Stonebyers with a collateral Vere line forms a key ancestral foundation for what becomes the House of Vere today — a heritage that blends ancient Scottish clan blood with one of England’s oldest noble dynasties. 

The House of Vere is rooted in my own Scottish heritage through my father’s line, descending from the Weirs, MacDonalds, Logans, and Grants. These families form the backbone of my immediate paternal ancestry and are deeply woven into the history of Scotland itself. The creation of the House of Vere tartans — both the historic Blue Weir and the newly registered Red Weir–de Vere — is a continuation of that legacy, honouring the bloodlines that shaped my family for generations. Additionally, the tartans are celebrated within the Scottish Highlands garments, making them a vital part of my family’s narrative and a tribute to our lineage, which can be found at our local tartan boutique.