The armorial appears to be based on an earlier manuscript of about 1580-1581 since it includes notes with those dates (folios 8 verso, 34 verso), but it also refers to James VI as king of England (folio 4 verso). The coats of arms with crests, supporters and mottoes are drawn in trick, and on the facing pages are notes about the families and the contemporary holders of the titles.

The manuscript contains the arms of John Balliol and Mary, Queen of Scots as Queen of France (folio 1); Scottish queens from St Margaret to Mary, Queen of Scots (folio 1 verso); the royal arms (folio 4); arms of the nobility beginning with Darnley as Duke of Albany (folio 5); a list of Scottish bishops, universities, dukedoms, earldoms and viscountcies (folio 60 verso); and an index in another hand (folio 67 verso).

The signature of Nicholas Charles as Lancaster Herald (1609-1613) occurs on folio ii verso.