Peerage of Scotland facts for kids

The Peerage of Scotland is a special group of noble titles given out by the King of Scots before the year 1707. It's one of the five main types of peerages in the United Kingdom. In 1707, Scotland and England joined to form Great Britain. After that, new titles were created under the Peerage of Great Britain.

In the past, Scottish Peers could be part of the old Parliament of Scotland. After Scotland and England united, 16 Scottish Peers were chosen to represent Scotland in the House of Lords in Westminster. Later, a law in 1963 allowed all Scottish Peers to sit in the House of Lords. However, this automatic right was changed in 1999 for most inherited titles.

Scottish titles are a bit different from others. For example, some can be passed down through daughters, especially the oldest daughter if there are no sons. Also, in Scotland, a title can be inherited by someone who was not born to married parents, but whose parents later married.

The different ranks in the Scottish Peerage, from lowest to highest, are: Lord of Parliament, Viscount, Earl, Marquess, and Duke. Scottish Viscounts sometimes use the word "of" in their title, like "Viscount of Oxfuird," which is different from other British Viscounts. The Viscount of Arbuthnott still uses "of" in his title.

Below these ranks are Scottish Barons. They are considered noble but are not part of the Peerage. Their titles can be passed down or even bought and sold.

Dukes of Scotland

Dukes hold the highest rank in the Peerage. Here are the Scottish Dukedoms that still exist today. Some Dukes also have higher titles in other peerages.

Shield	Title	Created In	Other important titles	Monarch who created the title
	The Duke of Rothesay	1398	Usually the Prince of Wales, heir to the throne. Also Duke of Cornwall in England.	King Robert III
	The Duke of Hamilton	1643	Duke of Brandon in Great Britain	King Charles I
	The Duke of Buccleuch	1663	Also Duke of Queensberry in Scotland	King Charles II
	The Duke of Lennox	1675	Also Duke of Richmond (England) and Duke of Gordon (United Kingdom).
	The Duke of Queensberry	1684	Also Duke of Buccleuch in Scotland
	The Duke of Argyll	1701	Also Duke of Argyll (United Kingdom).	King William III and II
	The Duke of Atholl	1703		Queen Anne
	The Duke of Montrose	1707
	The Duke of Roxburghe	1707

Marquesses of Scotland

Marquesses are the next highest rank after Dukes.

Shield	Title	Created In	Other important titles	Monarch who created the title
	The Marquess of Huntly	1599		King James VI and I
	The Marquess of Queensberry	1682		King Charles II
	The Marquess of Tweeddale	1694		King William III and II
	The Marquess of Lothian	1701

Earls and Countesses of Scotland

Earls (or Countesses if female) are a very old and important rank in the Scottish Peerage.

Shield	Title	Created In	Other important titles	Monarch who created the title
	The Earl of Sutherland	1230		King Alexander II
	The Earl of Crawford	1398	Also Earl of Balcarres in Scotland	King Robert II
	The Countess of Mar	1404		King Robert III
	The Earl of Erroll	1452		King James II
	The Earl of Caithness	1455
	The Earl of Rothes	1457
	The Earl of Morton	1458
	The Earl of Buchan	1469		King James III
	The Earl of Eglinton	1507	Also Earl of Winton in the United Kingdom.	King James IV
	The Earl of Cassilis	1509	Also Marquess of Ailsa in the United Kingdom.
	The Earl of Moray	1562		Queen Mary I
	The Earl of Mar	1565	Also Earl of Kellie in Scotland
	The Earl of Home	1605		King James VI and I
	The Earl of Perth	1605
	The Earl of Abercorn	1606	Also Duke of Abercorn in Ireland
	The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne	1606	Also Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in the United Kingdom.
	The Earl of Haddington	1619
	The Earl of Kellie	1619	Also Earl of Mar (1565) in Scotland
	The Earl of Galloway	1623
	The Earl of Lauderdale	1624
	The Earl of Lindsay	1633		King Charles I
	The Earl of Loudoun	1633
	The Earl of Kinnoull	1633
	The Earl of Dumfries	1633	Also Marquess of Bute in Great Britain.
	The Earl of Elgin	1633	Also Earl of Kincardine in Scotland
	The Earl of Southesk	1633	Also Duke of Fife in the United Kingdom.
	The Earl of Wemyss	1633	Also Earl of March in Scotland
	The Earl of Dalhousie	1633
	The Earl of Airlie	1639
	The Earl of Leven	1641	Also Earl of Melville in Scotland
	The Earl of Dysart	1643
	The Earl of Selkirk	1646
	The Earl of Northesk	1647
	The Earl of Kincardine	1647	Also Earl of Elgin in Scotland
	The Earl of Balcarres	1651	Also Earl of Crawford in Scotland	King Charles II
	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
	The Earl of Aberdeen	1682	Also Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair in the United Kingdom
	The Earl of Dunmore	1686		King James VII and II
	The Earl of Melville	1690	Also Earl of Leven in Scotland	King William II and III
	The Earl of Orkney	1696
	The Earl of March	1697	Also Earl of Wemyss in Scotland
	The Earl of Seafield	1701
	The Earl of Stair	1703		Queen Anne
	The Earl of Rosebery	1703	Also Earl of Midlothian in the United Kingdom.
	The Earl of Glasgow	1703
	The Earl of Hopetoun	1703	Also Marquess of Linlithgow in the United Kingdom.
	The Earl of Bute	1703	Also Marquess of Bute in Great Britain

Viscounts of Scotland

Viscounts are a rank below Earls. Some Scottish Viscounts use "of" in their title.

Shield	Title	Created In	Other important titles	Monarch who created the title
	The Viscount Falkland	1620		King James VI and I
	The Viscount of Stormont	1621	Also Earl of Mansfield in Great Britain
	The Viscount of Arbuthnott	1641		King Charles I
	The Viscount of Oxfuird	1651		King Charles II

Lords of Parliament

Lords of Parliament are the lowest rank within the Scottish Peerage.

Shield	Title	Created In	Other important titles	Monarch who created the title
	The Lord Forbes	1442		King James III
	The Lord Gray	1445
	The Lady Saltoun	1445
	The Lord Sinclair	1449
	The Lord Borthwick	1452
	The Lord Cathcart	1452	Also Earl Cathcart in the United Kingdom.
	The Lord Lovat	1464	Also Baron Lovat in the United Kingdom	King James III
	The Lord Sempill	1488		King James IV
	The Lady Herries	1490
	The Lord Elphinstone	1510	Also Baron Elphinstone in the United Kingdom.
	The Lord Torphichen	1564		Queen Mary I
	The Lady Kinloss	1602		King James VI and I
	The Lord Colville of Culross	1604	Also Viscount Colville of Culross in the United Kingdom.
	The Lord Balfour of Burleigh	1607
	The Lord Dingwall	1609	Also Baron Lucas in England.
	The Lord Napier	1627	Also Baron Ettrick in the United Kingdom.	King Charles I
	The Lord Fairfax of Cameron	1627
	The Lord Reay	1628
	The Lord Forrester	1633	Also Baron Verulam in Great Britain; Viscount Grimston in Ireland; Earl of Verulam in the United Kingdom.
	The Lord Elibank	1643
	The Lord Belhaven and Stenton	1647
	The Lord Rollo	1651	Also Baron Dunning in the United Kingdom.	King Charles II
	The Lord Ruthven of Freeland	1651	Also Earl of Carlisle in England.
	The Lord Nairne	1681	Also Viscount Mersey in the United Kingdom.
	The Lord Polwarth	1690		King William II and III

See also

• Barons in Scotland
• Peerage of England
• Peerage of Ireland