Arms of Ian Douglas Macpherson

Blazon

Azure a lymphad sails furled oars in action Or, flagged Argent with a saltire Azure, the masthead pennon Gules, on a chief Or an ivy leaf Vert between a hand couped fesswise grasping a dagger and a cross-crosslet fitché, all within a bordure engrailed per pale Gules and Ermine;

Symbolism

The colours, the ship, the hand holding the dagger, and the cross are taken from the arms of the chief of the Clan Macpherson. The ship, derived from the arms of the Lords of the Isles, is found in many coats of arms from the western Highlands of Scotland. The flags on the ship allude to that of Nova Scotia, where Mr. Macpherson’s great-grandfather was born. The cross is an ecclesiastical reference, as the name Macpherson is derived from the Scots Gaelic phrase for “son of the parson.” The hand and dagger indicate the role of the Clan Macpherson in overthrowing the Cummings of Badenoch family, who were enemies of King Robert I of Scotland at the beginning of the 14th century. The ivy leaf is the plant badge of the Clan Gordon and references the second name of Mr. Macpherson’s great-grandfather. The engrailed red and ermine border is a Scottish method of differencing indicating that Mr. Macpherson is descended from a cadet line.