The arms of the former council

synthesised charges found in the arms of several of the county’s prominent families. The stag’s head is taken from the arms of the Calder family

one of the most ancient and important families in the region. The golden colour and the two water budgets, the items at the top of the shield which resemble musical notes, are taken from the arms of the Rose of Kilravock family

, another important local family, intermarried with the Calders. The red chevron is taken from the arms of the Brodie of Brodie family

, whereas the silver stars are taken from the arms of a fourth important family, the Baillies of Lochloy,  an illustration of which appears to be unavailable.

The nature of these arms, manifestly crafted to embrace a range of locally meaningful emblems, makes them an obvious idea for use as a county flag – the armorial banner derived from them is thus the proposed flag for the county; the body that once bore these arms no longer being in existence. This circumstance is the same as that of Middlesex, Cheshire, Cumberland and Westmorland all of which now have county flags that were once banners of the arms of their respctive county councils.