Bears, once spread throughout Scotland in great numbers, have gone extinct there and in the rest of the British Isles some 2,700 years ago or later, likely due to deforestation and overhunting. The presence of bears in Scotland is recorded via various historical artifacts, bones, and other archaeological discoveries. There is some evidence that the Romans captured some Scottish bears for the games at the Colosseum. A brown bear neck bone found in North Yorkshire was carbon-dated to around the 5th century AD, making it possible that there were still bears in Scotland at that time as well. Most likely the bears in Scotland were the European brown bears that still survive to this day in some areas in France, Italy, and Spain.
The only bears found in Scotland today are the ones in captivity. In the last decade there have been some discussions about potentially reintroducing bears to Scotland.
The word Mathan is a reduced form of Math-ghamhainn, meaning “bear” in Gaelic. The name of the Scottish Matheson clan is believed to come from Mic Mhathghamhuin which means “son of the bear”. The Matheson clan chief's coat of arms has two bears as supporters, as a sign of dignity. The clan has a proud 800-year history. The colours of the official ancient Matheson hunting tartan are blue, green, and black. The motto of the clan is “Fac et Spera”, which means “Do and Hope”.