Family Crests has a presence in The Old Town of Edinburgh on the historic Royal Mile and our established family business is very much involved in history and pageantry.

Heraldry began in Europe. It has always remained something specially European. Its uses have now spread to the Commonwealth and the New World, but it still has its roots in Europe.

The inspiration for heraldry came from the decoration of shields making the shield-owner easy to recognise even from a distance. When armour came into use in Europe, warriors faced a new problem. Locked up in metal suits with closed visors, they all looked alike. The only way you could tell one man from another was by the design on his shield so the shield device became very important. From being a decoration it was now a necessity and the same design was embroidered on the surcoat which was worn over the armour. This garment was called a Coat of Arms.

We pride ourselves in offering a service dedicated to producing Crests and Coats of Arms, showing the Coat of Arms for your family name, for display in your home or office.

All Arms are thoroughly researched from recognised reference sources and offered in a number of different and attractive finishes including hand embroidered, hand painted and computer prints.

Arms have been granted over the centuries to countless thousands of individuals including possibly someone of your surname. It should be clearly understood that no direct genealogical connection is intended, or implied.

We ship our products throughout the world and the recipients are thrilled and delighted with the quality and design accuracy of their purchases as is evident from the number of testimonials we receive.

The items depicted in the shop section are only a sample of some of the more popular requests from our clients worldwide and we will be only too happy to discuss your own specific requirements before we undertake your commission.