Byres (Byses)
Byres (Byers) Tartan Collection
Honour an old Lothian name with the Byres collection — a family of the barony of Byres in East Lothian, of provosts of Edinburgh and lairds of Coates and Tonley, linked to the great House of Lindsay.
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About the Byres (Byers) Tartan
The Byres name — also spelled Byers — is a territorial one, taken from the old barony of Byres in East Lothian, near Edinburgh. For centuries that barony belonged to the great family of Lindsay, and gave the title Lindsay of the Byres, still borne by a branch of that clan. An old Lowland family rather than a Highland clan, the Byres are most fittingly worn with a Lothian District tartan, or the Lindsay tartan through the barony's long Lindsay connection.
This collection celebrates the Byres and Byers name and its Lothian heritage, bringing fitting tartans into apparel, accessories, home decor and heritage gifts for those who carry one of Scotland's old burgh and landed names.
Byres & District Tartan Colours
Worn through a Lothian District or Lindsay tartan, the collection draws on a warm, dignified palette of red and green with black and white — the colours of the old Lothian country around Edinburgh and of the House of Lindsay, fitting for a family of merchants, provosts and lairds.
Who Is This Collection For?
The Byres collection is a meaningful choice for the Byres and Byers family in all its spellings, descendants of East Lothian, Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire, those with Lindsay kinship, and anyone drawn to an old Scottish name of burgh and barony.
- Byres & Byers family
- East Lothian & Edinburgh roots
- Coates & Tonley branches
- Family gatherings
- Birthday & holiday gifts
- Everyday tartan style
Byres (Byers) Family Heritage
The name appears in Scottish record from 1309, when John de Byres was a monk at Newbattle in Midlothian, and Thomas de Byris held a tenement in Edinburgh in 1392. The most prominent branch was the Byres of Coates: Sir John Byres of Coates (1569–1629), an Edinburgh merchant and banker, served as Treasurer and Provost of the city and built Coates Hall, which still stands as part of St Mary's Cathedral Music School. Byers Close on the Royal Mile bears his name.
From the House of Coates sprang the Byres of Tonley in Aberdeenshire. Major Patrick Byres fought for the Jacobites at Culloden and fled to France, while his son James Byres became a celebrated antiquarian and guide to British aristocrats on the Grand Tour in Rome. The direct line passed through an heiress to the Moir family of Overhill, who took the additional name of Byres and hold the Tonley lands to this day.
Byres (Byers) Tartan FAQ
Quick answers about the Byres name, the tartans its members wear, and why these products make meaningful heritage gifts.
Does Byres have its own tartan?
There is no separate registered Byres tartan, so the name is most fittingly worn with a Lothian District tartan, or the Lindsay tartan through the barony's long Lindsay connection.
Where does the Byres name come from?
From the old barony of Byres in East Lothian, near Edinburgh. The name simply means "of Byres," from the old word byre, a cattle-shed.
How is the name connected to the Lindsays?
The barony of Byres long belonged to the family of Lindsay and gave the title Lindsay of the Byres, still borne by a branch of Clan Lindsay.
Who were the Byres of Coates?
An Edinburgh merchant family; Sir John Byres of Coates was Treasurer and Provost of Edinburgh and built Coates Hall, now part of St Mary's Cathedral Music School.
How is the name spelled?
Common forms include Byres and Byers. Both trace to the same East Lothian barony.
Is Byres tartan a good gift?
Yes. District or Lindsay-tartan Byres products make a meaningful gift for the Byres and Byers family and for those with Lothian or Edinburgh heritage.
Carry the Byres Name with Pride
Discover Lothian district and Lindsay tartan apparel, accessories and gifts for the Byres family — honouring the barony of Byres, Coates and an old Lothian name.
View Byres Tartan Products