Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the section of the Peerage of the British Isles for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, the Kingdom of Scots and the Kingdom of England were combined under the name of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was introduced in which subsequent titles were created.
After the Union, the Peers of the ancient Parliament of Scotland elected 16 representative peers to sit in the House of Lords. The Peerage Act 1963 granted all Scottish Peers the right to sit in the House of Lords, but this automatic right was revoked, as for all hereditary peerages, when the House of Lords Act 1999 received royal assent.
Unlike most peerages, many Scottish titles have been granted with remainder to pass via female offspring, and in the case of daughters only, these titles devolve to the eldest daughter rather than falling into abeyance. Unlike other British peerage titles, Scots Law permits peerages to be inherited by or through a person who was not legitimate at birth, but was subsequently legitimised by their parents marrying later.
The ranks of the Scottish Peerage are, in ascending order: Lord of Parliament, Viscount, Earl, Marquis and Duke. Scottish Viscounts differ from those of the other Peerages by using the style of in their title, as in Viscount of Oxfuird. Though this is the theoretical form, most Viscounts drop the "of". The Viscount of Arbuthnott and to a lesser extent the Viscount of Oxfuird still use "of." Scottish Peers were entitled to sit in the ancient Parliament of Scotland.
Scottish Barons rank below Lords of Parliament, and although considered noble, their titles are incorporeal hereditaments. At one time feudal barons did sit in parliament. However, they are considered minor barons and not peers because their titles can be hereditary, or bought and sold.
In the following table of the Peerage of Scotland as it currently stands, each peer's highest ranking title in the other peerages are also listed. Those peers who are known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are listed in italics.
Dukes
Title | Creation | Other Dukedom or higher titles House of Lords titles |
The Duke of Rothesay | 1398 | Since 1603, usually Prince of Wales as the heir to the throne Duke of Cornwall in the Peerage of England. |
The Duke of Hamilton | 12 September 1643 | Sat as Duke of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain until 1963. |
The Duke of Buccleuch | 20 April 1663 | Sat as Earl of Doncaster in the Peerage of England from 1743–1963. |
The Duke of Lennox | 1675 | Duke of Richmond in the Peerage of England; Duke of Gordon in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Duke of Queensberry | 3 February 1684 | Held by the Duke of Buccleuch in the Peerage of Scotland since 1810. |
The Duke of Argyll | 23 June 1701 | Sat as Lord Sundridge and Hamilton in the Peerage of Great Britain; Sat as Duke of Argyll in the Peerage of the United Kingdom from 1892–1963. |
The Duke of Atholl | 1703 | |
The Duke of Montrose | 1707 | Sat as Earl Graham in the Peerage of Great Britain. |
The Duke of Roxburghe | 1707 | Sat as Earl Innes in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
Marquesses
Title | Creation | Other Marquisette or higher titles |
The Marquess of Huntly | 1599 | Lord Meldrum in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Marquess of Queensberry | 1682 | |
The Marquess of Tweeddale | 1694 | Lord Tweeddale in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Marquess of Lothian | 1701 | Lord Ker in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Lord Kerr of Monteviot for Life in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
Earls and countesses
Title | Creation | Other Earldom or higher titles |
The Earl of Sutherland | 1230 | |
The Earl of Crawford and Balcarres | 1398; 1651 | Lord Wigan in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; Lord Balniel in the Life in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Countess of Mar | 1114 | |
The Earl of Erroll | 1452 | |
The Earl of Rothes | 1457 | |
The Earl of Morton | 1458 | |
The Earl of Buchan | 1469 | Lord Erskine in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Eglinton | 1507 | Earl of Winton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Cassilis | 1509 | Marquess of Ailsa in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Caithness | 1455 | |
The Earl of Mar and Kellie | 1565; 1619 | Lord Erskine of Alloa Tower in the Life in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Moray | 1562 | Lord Stuart in the Peerage of Great Britain. |
The Earl of Home | 1605 | Lord Douglas in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Perth | 1605 | |
The Earl of Abercorn | 1606 | Duke of Abercorn in the Peerage of Ireland; Marquess of Abercorn in the Peerage of Great Britain. |
The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne | 1606 | Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Haddington | 1619 | |
The Earl of Galloway | 1623 | |
The Earl of Lauderdale | 1624 | |
The Earl of Lindsay | 1633 | |
The Earl of Loudoun | 1633 | |
The Earl of Kinnoull | 1633 | Lord Hay in the Peerage of Great Britain. |
The Earl of Dumfries and Bute | 1633; 1703 | Marquess of Bute in the Peerage of Great Britain. |
The Earl of Elgin and Kincardine | 1633; 1647 | Lord Elgin in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Southesk | 1633 | Duke of Fife in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Wemyss and March | 1633; 1697 | Lord Wemyss in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Dalhousie | 1633 | Lord Ramsay in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Airlie | 1639 | |
The Earl of Leven and Melville | 1641; 1690 | |
The Earl of Dysart | 1643 | |
The Earl of Selkirk | 1646 | Presently disclaimed by James Douglas-Hamilton - Lord Selkirk of Douglas in the Peerage of the Life in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Northesk | 1647 | |
The Earl of Dundee | 1660 | |
The Earl of Newburgh | 1660 | |
The Earl of Annandale and Hartfell | 1662 | |
The Earl of Dundonald | 1669 | |
The Earl of Kintore | 1677 | Viscount Stonehaven in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Aberdeen | 1682 | Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; Viscount Gordon in the Peerage of Great Britain. |
The Earl of Dunmore | 1686 | |
The Earl of Orkney | 1696 | |
The Earl of Seafield | 1701 | |
The Earl of Stair | 1703 | Lord Oxenfoord in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Rosebery | 1703 | Earl of Midlothian in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Glasgow | 1703 | Lord Fairlie in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Earl of Hopetoun | 1703 | Marquess of Linlithgow in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
Viscounts
Title | Creation | Other Viscountcy or higher titles |
The Viscount Falkland | 1620 | |
The Viscount of Stormont | 1621 | Earl of Mansfield in the Peerage of Great Britain |
The Viscount of Arbuthnott | 1641 | |
The Viscount of Oxfuird | 1651 | |
The Viscount Archborough | 1839 |
Lords of Parliament
Title | Creation | Other titles |
The Lord Forbes | 1442 | |
The Lord Gray | 1445 | |
The Lady Saltoun | 1445 | |
The Lord Sinclair | 1449 | |
The Lord Borthwick | 1452 | |
The Lord Cathcart | 1452 | Earl Cathcart in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Lord Lovat | 1464 | Lord Lovat in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Lord Sempill | 1488 | |
The Lady Herries | 1490 | |
The Lord Elphinstone | 1510 | Lord Elphinstone in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Lord Torphichen | 1564 | |
The Lady Kinloss | 1602 | |
The Lord Colville of Culross | 1604 | Viscount Colville of Culross in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Lord Balfour of Burleigh | 1607 | |
The Lord Dingwall | 1609 | Lord Lucas in the Peerage of England. |
The Lord Napier | 1627 | Lord Ettrick in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Lord Fairfax of Cameron | 1627 | |
The Lord Reay | 1628 | |
The Lord Forrester | 1633 | Lord Verulam in the Peerage of Great Britain; Viscount Grimston in the Peerage of Ireland; Earl of Verulam in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Lord Elibank | 1643 | |
The Lord Belhaven and Stenton | 1647 | |
The Lord Rollo | 1651 | Lord Dunning in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Lord Ruthven of Freeland | 1651 | Earl of Carlisle in the Peerage of England. |
The Lord Nairne | 1681 | Viscount Mersey in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. |
The Lord Polwarth | 1690 |