About the Forrester Name

Six centuries of Scottish heritage, worn today

From the Forrester name's origins in the forests of Lowland Scotland to the tartans and values behind every design we print.

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Forests
Adventure
Wildlife
Tradition

Forrester Clothing honours the long Scottish lineage of the Forrester name. Rooted in the ancient role of foresters — keepers of the royal hunting grounds — the family became established landowners and civic figures in the Lowlands. Our collections draw on that spirit of stewardship, quality and quiet distinction.

Origins

An occupational name, a rising family

The surname Forrester is occupational, referring to the keepers of Scotland's royal forests. By the later 14th century the family had risen to prominence in Edinburgh; Sir Adam Forrester, a successful merchant and civic leader, acquired the barony of Corstorphine. This established the family as significant landowners whose fortunes were tied to both the land and the city.

Corstorphine remained the family's ancestral seat for generations, with its collegiate church still standing as a record of that patronage.

Civic Life

Service to city and Crown

Sir Adam Forrester served as a trusted merchant and civic leader in Edinburgh, with responsibilities that connected the family to both the Crown and the city's affairs — reflecting their standing among Scotland's landowning and merchant class.

The name endured through the centuries that followed as an established, armigerous Lowland family — carried forward with quiet consistency rather than incident.

The Crest

“Blaw, Hunter, Blaw”

The Forrester crest carries three hunting horns — a heraldic reference to the family's origins as royal foresters. The motto, roughly “blow, hunter, blow,” recalls the horn call that gathered the hunt.

Clan Tartans

A living expression of identity

Colours and patterns that evoke woodland, hunting tradition and Lowland heritage.

Forrester Tartan, 1987 — woven throw and cushion by the fireside

Forrester Tartan

1987 · Red

Softer, heathered greens and earth tones, drawn from natural woodland dyes.

Forrester Hunting

1986 · Green · Hunting

Deep, saturated navy and forest green, anchored by red and gold overchecks.

Every metre of Forrester tartan is woven in collaboration with historic Scottish mills, respecting authentic thread counts registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans.

Today

Tradition, tailored for now

Forrester Clothing continues the family's association with quality, natural materials and Scottish character. Contemporary designs interpret the tartans and the spirit of the name in outdoor-inspired apparel — printed on demand and fulfilled via Amazon.

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