Some notable historic facts about Clan Grant:

• Clan Grant was the first clan to adopt a common "clan tartan". An edict of the Chief of Grant in 1704-5 specified that all clansmen appearing before him should appear in tartan that was "red and green...broad springed". The same as Clan Grant wears today.



• The tartan known as "The Black Watch" was originally a Grant tartan (the Clan supposedly has the reciepts for the original order of the tartan material!). This famous tartan, one of a handful considered to be a "national" tartan for Scotland, was thus a Grant tartan before being adopted by the entire Black Watch regiment. Clan Grant officially has "The Black Watch" as their "Hunting" tartan for this reason. Many other clans, such as the Campbells, wear the Black Watch or slight variations (minor variants in thread count from some mills) as their Dress tartan. Though other clans claim to have provided the regiment with the tartan after which the regiment is now named, it was, indeed, a Grant tartan which the regiment adopted as its own. Some clans use the Black Watch sett as the base design for their Dress tartan and simply add a colored stripe to the overall sett.



• Clan Grant was one of the few clans not to be affected by the Highland Clearances. The "Good Sir James" Grant (Clan Chief from 1773-1811) built the town of Grantown-on-Spey for the purpose of establishing a textile industry in the north, and for the expressed purpose of providing for his clansmen to keep them from emigrating. While other Highlanders were emigrating in the face of the changes that were sweeping away the old Highland way of life, Sir James Grant was busy building an entire new Highland town to provide for his Clan. Grantown-on-Spey is a monument to Sir James's loyalty to his clansmen.



• Clan Grant was the last clan ever to be raised by the "Fiery Cross".
  
  During a hostile election in 1820, the Chief of Grant and his sister (along with their retainers) became virtually imprisoned in their residence in Elgin by locals who supported an opposing candidate (the Chief's brother supported his opponent). The locals of the town grew increasingly hostile until finally they surrounded the residence of the Chief. The Chief (who was bed-ridden at the time) and his sister, along with the other residents of the house, felt it unsafe to venture out of the resdience, and were trapped. The Chief's sister (a lady of renowned beauty) sent out a note to the men of Strathspey via a young boy, pleading with them to come to their aid. The loyalty of the clansmen to their Chief, and their outrage at the afront to a lady of the Clan, was so great, that the clansmen immediately sent round the Fiery Cross. Within hours over 800 Grant clansmen had rallied and began to march on Elgin (singing Psalms since it was a Sunday). Upon seeing the approaching Grants, roused to high fury, the terrified citizenry of Elgin who had surrounded the Chief's residence quickly melted away and the mayor had to plead with them to keep them from causing any damage to the town. The Chief's sister greeted the Strathspey men at the gates of the house, to thank them personally. Honor satisified and the threat having vanished, the men then marched back to Strathspey without having caused any damage to the village. Called "The Raid on Elgin", this incident was the last time any Highland clan was raised to battle by the "Fiery Cross".