Arms of Nunraw

"Pebble from the Nunraw stream"


I have been rummaging in a drawer of the Porter's snuggery and came across a heraldic paper of the late Hugh McKay.
He was a one time Minister of Duns and used to spend some time on Retread at Nunraw.

He liked to make reproductions of the Coat of Arms of Sancta Maria Abbey.


One is this old rather tatty scroll opposite.

The red writing is rather faded - typing below.


And a second one, is a stone Paper Weight which is still on my desk.




Hugh McKay died some years ago. It will be worthwhile finding out some of the memories of the life of his ministries and friendships.


Some study of Hugh's version of the heraldic details is of interest.
The Lord Lyon, King of Arms', Extract of Matriculation may be rather different.

The Arm of Sancta Maria Abbey Nunraw.

The fleurs-de-lys and the blue-&-gold diagonals – derived from the arms of the Dukes of Burgundy, stand for the Abbey of Citeaux, where the Order began. The eagles’ heads and stars, against the black-&-gold fur call peàn by heralds, represents Mount Melleray*, Mother House of Nunraw; the silver fleur-de-lys represents the pre-reformation house of the Cistercian Nuns at Haddington, who owned the fortalice of White Castle – or Nunrawm as it came to be known.

The black Ecclesiastical Hat with three tassels on either side, is the emblem assigned in Scots heraldry to an Abbot, as are the silver crosier with the flowing, tasselled sudarion; the incurved crook (in heraldry) signifies the limited jurisdiction of an Abbot, as distinct from that of a Bishop, whose golden crosier is drawn with crook turned out.

During the Middle Ages nearby Haddington boasted a great Church which men called “The Lamp of Lothian”; the Motto – UT LUCEAT OMNIBUS – echoes the hope voiced by Nunraw’s first Abbot, the late Dom Columban Mulcahy: the some day this Abbey might merit the title “Lamp of the Lammermuirs”.

Hugh McKay

*not Mount Melleray

but Mt. St. Josesph, Roscrea.