The arms, or achievement, normally include the shield, the helmet, the mantling, the wreath, the crest, the motto, and sometimes other components. The arms currently used by Clan MacLellan is a version of the Arms of the Lord Kirkcudbright.

The shield is shown hanging at an angle, or in the couche position. Heraldry experts consider this the correct position since this is how it would have hung from a peg or from a saddle in medieval times.

The helmet is symbolic of the days of jousting and identifies the rank of the owner of the arms. In the MacLellan arms, the silver helmet has a gold grille and is shown in profile facing the left or dexter side, signifying the owner is a Peer.

The mantling, originally a cape worn to protect the metal of the helmet from the hot sun, dates from the days of the Crusades. The stylized division of the mantling into tattered strips represents the wear and tear of the cape worn by a knight during a long war. Usually the same color of the principle metal of the helmet changes for Peers; their mantling, as on the arms of the Lord Kirkcudbright, is crimson with gold undersides and ermine lining (indicated by the black spot on the white background).

The wreath represents a circlet of silk with gold or silver cord twisted around it. Placed on the helmet to cover the join between the crest and the mantling, it consists of six twists alternating the color and metal of the shield (black and gold for the arms of the Lord Kirkcudbright).

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