Burnetts on the Net House of Burnett Discussion Area Burnett Contacts

• Crest: A cubit arm, the hand naked, vested vert doubled argent, pruning a vine tree with a pruning knife, proper.
  
• Arms: Argen, three holly leaves in chief Vert, a hunting horn in base Sable, garnished Or, stringed Gules.
  
• Tartan: Burnett, Burnett of Leys
  
• Motto: Virescit Vulnere Virtus (Courage Flourishes at a Wound)
  The motto is the same as for the Stewarts and probably owes its origins to Mary, Queen of Scots, who is said to have embroidered it on some material during her imprisonment by the English.
  
• Plant Badge: A sprig of holly leaves.
  
• Branches: Burnett of Leys, Burnett of Craigmyle, Burnett of Kemnay, Burnett of Crimond and Burnett of Monboddo.

The Burnett's are a NorthEast Scottish family, whose Chief, James C. A. Burnett of Leys, lives at The House of Crathes adjacent to the ancestral home, Crathes Castle, outside of Banchory, Scotland.

The Burnetts were never a sept of Clan Campbell, or any other clan, but were an independant family, who became wealthy from judicious marriages and land acquisitions. Although the family lived in a Highland area and many spoke the Gaelic, Burnetts were generally considered a powerful Lowland family and in the main spoke Scots.

They were originally an Anglo-Saxon family (BARNARD) who came to Scotland in the train of David I in the 12th century and first settled in the southern part of the country, where some remained to become the Burnetts of Barns. The chiefly branch traveled on to the Kincardineshire area (near Aberdeen), where they became the Burnetts of Leys. The family has been resident in the area since that time.

The current Laird is James Comyn Amhurst Burnett of Leys. Chief of the name and of the House of Burnett.

Other variations of the name include Burnet, Burrnette, MacBurnett, Barnet, Barnett, Bernette, Bernat, Burnit, as well as Barnard.

Information provided by: Mary Dunklee, Secretary and Membership Chairperson, House of Burnett; David Coull Burnett, Commissioner for Canada, House of Burnett; & the House of Burnett website