The Chiefship of Clan Gunn laid dormant for over a 100 years. In 1972 the armigerous and landed members of the Clan applied to the Lord Lyon King of Arms to appoint a Head of the Clan until such time as the Chief could be traced. He appointed Iain Gunn of Banniskirk to be Commander ( Ceann Cath ) of the Clan. On 28 July 1978, Commander Iain Gunn of Banniskirk, together with Lord Kintore, Chief of the Keiths, signed a treaty at Ackergill which ended the 500-year-old feud between the Gunns and the Keiths.
Scottish heritage is alive and well in Canada, with a difference in emphasis between Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada. In Nova Scotia the roots, which are Gaelic, go back much further. Gaelic is still taught at college level on Cape Breton Island. The Scottish traditions of Nova Scotia are based on their Highland heritage. In the rest of Canada the Scottish traditions are wider based, with Burns Suppers, for example, being very popular. Some Scots who have left indelible marks on Canada's path to greatness are: Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, inventor Alexander Graham Bell, explorer-trader Sir Alexander Mackenzie, and publisher-politician George Brown.