George Alexander Way of Plean, Baron of Plean in the County of Stirlingshire is a Scottish

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

and former Procurator Fiscal of the

Court of the Lord Lyon The Court of the Lord Lyon (the Lyon Court) is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All A ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. In November 2015 it was announced that he was to be the first Scottish

to be appointed a member of the

Royal Household in Scotland The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, ...

Falkland Pursuivant Falkland Pursuivant of Arms is a Scottish pursuivant of arms of the Court of the Lord Lyon. The title was first mentioned in 1493 and it is derived from the Royal Palace of the same name located in Fife. The title is often used for a Pursuivan ...

Extraordinary at the Court of the Lord Lyon. In December 2017 he was promoted to Carrick Pursuivant in Ordinary. In 2020 he was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Brechin. In June 2021 he was appointed as Genealogist of the Priory of Scotland in the Most Venerable Order of St.John.

Education and career

He is a graduate of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

and

Pembroke College, Oxford Pembroke College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is located at Pembroke Square, Oxford. The college was founded in 1624 by King James I of England, using in part the endowment of merchant Thomas Tesdale, and was named after ...

. He was, until 2009, senior partner with the law firm of Beveridge and Kellas SSC. He was Convenor for Civil Justice on the Council of the Law Society of Scotland and is Past President of the

Society of Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland The Society of Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland is a voluntary professional association of solicitors in Scotland, representing lawyers who practise in and around the College of Justice. The College of Justice comprises Scotland's t ...

. Plean succeeded Malcolm Strang-Steel WS as Secretary to the

Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...

in 1984 and served until 2003, but had to stand down from this post in order to carry out his duties as Procurator Fiscal to the Lyon Court impartially. In addition to his specialist work in peerage and heraldic law he has deep interest in judicial procedure. He served on the Scottish Courts Rules Council and other Regulatory bodies in Scotland. He represented the Sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife on the Sheriff’s Council. He holds the honorary rank of Lt. Colonel, as an external Judge Advocate in the California Army Reserve reviewing Court Martial procedures.

Memberships and activities

He is an Officer of the

Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of c ...

and a Companion of the

Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

. He has numerous foreign decorations including the

Order of Saint Maurice The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the w ...

of Italy and the "Treu und Verdienst Kreuz" of Germany together with decorations from Spain, Poland, Portugal and Georgia. He holds the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal and the California State Medal of Service.

Publications

His published works include ''Collins Scottish Clan and Family Encyclopaedia ( 3rd Edition 2017)'' ''Everyday Scots Law'', ''Scottish Clans and Tartans'' and ''The Homelands of the Clans''.

Arms

References

External links