The phrase below the image is a heraldic nicety that Lord Lyon prefers to see when displaying the Clan crest in graphic form . An Ceann Cirean Cinnidh is Gaelic and roughly translated means that "the crest shown is for the (head) Chief of the Clan". This addition makes it clear that it is NOT for the Chief but for a member of the Clan. The torse, the bar below the crest when it appears is always of 6 parts alternating in colour with the first colour always being the main metal colour in the Arms of the Chief and the second colour the next major colour. Mottos are in four languages. French because it is the founding language of heraldry, Latin the language of scholars, Gaelic the vernacular of the people and English the language of subjugation!! Ha! Surprisingly, mottos are rarely in Gaelic. All crest face to the left from the point of view of the viewer. The is referred to as the dexter. Crests that face to the right are a symbol of being a bastard... a mistake you don't want to make.

Clan crests are not static but can change as the Chief changes. It is his/her prerogative to change the crest in co ordination with Lord Lyon Master of Bearings and Arms. The new crest does not make the old crest wrong, it just makes it a crest from the past. Example shown Mac Intyre. Old with the snowball.. a very colourful story! New current crest to the right Mac Intyre of Glenoe