The earliest record of the Turnbull coat of arms is from 1455, recorded in the Standard Book of Scots Heraldry in the British Herald office, London.
James Turnbull, the Clark to Robert Dundas. MP in 1759, gives the following description, which is quite significant: "The first of the name was a strong man of the name of Rule, who turned a wild bull, which ran against King Robert Bruce, in Stirling Park. Verification of the story which had been handed down by word of mouth and minstrels songs.
The original coat of arms had only one bulls head, but the Minto Turnbull amended this to 3 bull's heads and added the family motto Adduce Facet Fortuna (Fortune Favors the Brave) instead of the old motto I Saved the King.
The church yard at Bedrule contains a considerable number of headstones bearing the Turnbull crest with the Bull's head.