The coat of arms of the Duke of Hamilton. Only the clan chief is entitled to them.
The crest is at the top and when surrounded by a buckle and carrying the Hamilton motto, becomes the clan badge.
The crest has an unusual history. It is claimed that a Duke of Hamilton was, many years ago, riding through a forest. He, and his companion, a personal valet, were intercepted by enemy English soldiers.
To conceal their identity they picked up a saw found in the forest and proceeded to cut through a tree. The motto carried on the Coat of Arms is gaelic, "troimh" or "through". It is the equivalent of "timber" called when a tree is felled.
