George Alexander Way of Plean CStJ[1] is a Scottish Sheriff and former Procurator Fiscal of the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland. In November 2015, it was announced that he was to be the first Scottish Sheriff to be appointed a member of the Royal Household in Scotland as Falkland Pursuivant Extraordinary at the Court of the Lord Lyon. In December 2017, he was promoted to Carrick Pursuivant in Ordinary [2] and then to Rothesay Herald in 2024[3] . 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.
He is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and Pembroke College, Oxford. 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. Plean succeeded Malcolm Strang-Steel WS as Secretary to the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs 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.
He is a Commander of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem and a Companion of the Order of Malta. He has numerous foreign decorations including the Order of Saint Maurice 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, Diamond Jubilee and Charles III Coronation Medals and the California State Medal of Service.
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.
| George Way of Plean | |
| Crest: | On a wreath of the liveries, a wyvern wings addorsed Gules gorged of a crest coronet Or supporting with the dexter claw a double knot Sable. |
| Escutcheon: | Quarterly 1st and 4th Azure three luces haurient Argent in chief and an anchor with the crossbar supporting a pair of balances Or in base (for Way of Plean); 2nd Grand-quarterly the Arms of Romilly Squire 3rd per fess enarched Gules and Or, in chief two Chinese lotus flowers Argent and in base an open crown of the First (for Gauld).[4] |
| Motto: | VIA UNA COR UNUM ("One way, one heart") |