Peerage of Scotland

{{Short description|Group of hereditary titles}} {{use British English |date = June 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Peerage |Divisions}}

The '''Peerage of Scotland''' ({{langx|gd|Moraireachd na h-Alba}}; {{langx|sco|Peerage o Scotland}}) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scotland before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland 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.

As of November 2025, there are 74 peers of Scotland: 8 dukes (including one royal duke: the Duke of Rothesay), 4 marquesses, 39 earls, 3 viscounts and 20 lords of Parliament (counting peers known by a higher-ranking title in one of the other peerages).

Scottish peers were entitled to sit in the ancient Parliament of Scotland. After the Union, the peers of the old Parliament of Scotland elected 16 Scottish representative peers to sit in the House of Lords at Westminster. The Peerage Act 1963 granted all Scottish peers the right to sit in the House of Lords. However, thirty six years later, this automatic right was revoked, as for all hereditary peerages (except those of the incumbent Earl Marshal and Lord Great Chamberlain), when the House of Lords Act 1999 received royal assent.

Unlike English and Welsh peerages, many Scottish titles have been granted with remainder to pass via female offspring (thus an Italian family has succeeded to and presently holds the earldom of Newburgh<ref>{{cite journal |title=Representative Peers of Scotland |volume=25 |date=1895 |journal=The Scottish Review |page=357 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LOgRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA357}}</ref>), and in the case of daughters only, these titles devolve to the eldest daughter rather than falling into abeyance (as is the case with ancient English baronies by writ of summons). 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1967/dec/05/legitimation-scotland-bill-hl|title=LEGITIMATION (SCOTLAND) BILL [H.L.] |website=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |date=5 December 1967}}</ref><ref>Lauderdale Peerage Claim, House of Lords, 1884–1885</ref>

The ranks of the Scottish peerage are, in ascending order: Lord of Parliament, Viscount, Earl, Marquess and Duke. Scottish viscounts differ from those of the other divisions of peerage (of England, Great Britain, Ireland and the United Kingdom) 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''".

The Scottish peerage differs from those of England and Ireland in that its lowest rank is not that of baron. In Scotland, "baron" is a rank within the Baronage of Scotland, considered noble but not a peer, equivalent to a baron in some continental countries. The Scottish equivalent to the English or Irish baron is a lord of Parliament. Barons in Scotland were historically feudal barons until 2004, when a change in Scottish law abolished the feudal system.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-23 |title=Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 - Explanatory Notes |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2000/5/notes/division/1/3/6/11/data.htm |access-date=2024-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823172301/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2000/5/notes/division/1/3/6/11/data.htm |archive-date=23 August 2024 }}</ref> This reform ''"expressly preserves the dignity of baron... and any other dignity or office, whether or not of feudal origin,"'' converting feudal titles into non-territorial dignities - personal titles no longer attached to the land, including the quality, precedence, and heraldic rights pertaining.

== List == In the following table of the Peerage of Scotland as it currently stands, each peer's highest ranking title in the other peerages (if any) are also listed. Those peers who are known by a higher title in one of the other peerages are listed in ''italics''.

=== Extant dukedoms === {{see also|List of dukedoms in the peerages of Britain and Ireland#Dukedoms in the Peerage of Scotland, 1398–1707}} * {{legend2|#ADD8E6|Subsidiary title.|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} * {{legend2|#ffc391|Secondary dukedom in the Peerage of Scotland.|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {| class="wikitable sortable" !# ! Shield ! Title ! Creation ! Other Dukedom or higher titles ! Title used in the House of Lords prior to the Peerage Act 1963 ! Monarch |-style="background:#ADD8E6;" !1 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Duke of Rothesay | 1398 | colspan=2|Since 1603, usually Prince of Wales as the heir to the throne Duke of Cornwall in the Peerage of England. ! King Robert III |- !2 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Duke of Hamilton | 12 September 1643 | | {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} Duke of Brandon ! King Charles I |- !3 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Duke of Buccleuch | 20 April 1663 | | {{flagicon|Kingdom of England}} Earl of Doncaster ! rowspan=3|King Charles II |-style="background:#ADD8E6;" !4 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Duke of Lennox | ''9 September 1675'' | colspan=2|Duke of Richmond in the Peerage of England. |-style="background:#ffc391;" !— | align="center" |25px 25px | The Duke of Queensberry | 3 February 1684 | colspan=2|Duke of Buccleuch in the Peerage of Scotland. |- ! rowspan="3" |5 | rowspan="3" align="center" |25px 25px | rowspan=3|The Duke of Argyll | rowspan=3|23 June 1701 | rowspan=3| | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Duke of Argyll ! rowspan=3|King William III and II |- | {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} Baron Sundridge |- | {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} Baron Hamilton of Hameldon |- !6 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Duke of Atholl | 30 January 1703 | |<ref>Between 1786 and 1957 the Dukes of Atholl sat in the House of Lords with the title of Earl Strange</ref> ! rowspan=3|Queen Anne |- !7 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Duke of Montrose | 24 April 1707 | | {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} Earl Graham |- !8 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Duke of Roxburghe | 25 April 1707 | |{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Earl Innes |}

=== Extant marquessates === {{See also|List of marquessates in the peerages of Britain and Ireland#Marquessates in the Peerage of Scotland, 1488–1707}} {| class="wikitable sortable" !# ! Shield ! Title ! Creation ! Other Marquessate or higher titles ! Title used in the House of Lords prior to the Peerage Act 1963 ! Monarch |- !1 | align="center" |{{Sort|2|25px 25px}} | The Marquess of Huntly | 17 April 1599 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Meldrum ! King James VI and I |- !2 | align="center" |{{Sort|2|25px 25px}} | The Marquess of Queensberry | 11 February 1682 | | ! King Charles II |- !3 | align="center" |{{Sort|2|25px 25px}} | The Marquess of Tweeddale | 17 December 1694 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Tweeddale ! rowspan=2|King William III and II |- !4 | align="center" |{{Sort|2|25px 25px}} | The Marquess of Lothian | 23 June 1701 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Ker of Kersehugh |}

=== Extant earldoms === {{see also|List of earldoms#Earldoms in the Peerage of Scotland, 1072–1707}} * {{legend2|#ffc391|Secondary earldom in the Peerage of Scotland.|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {| class="wikitable sortable" !# ! Shield ! Title ! Creation ! Other Earldom or higher titles ! Title used in the House of Lords prior to the Peerage Act 1963 ! Monarch |- ! align="right" |1 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Sutherland | 1230 | | <ref>Between 1839 and 1963 the Earls of Sutherland were also titled Duke of Sutherland in the Peerage of the United Kingdom with an automatic seat in the House of Lords.</ref> ! King Alexander II |- ! align="right" |2 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Crawford | 21 April 1398 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Wigan ! King Robert II |- ! align="right" |3 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Mar | 1404 | | ! King Robert III |- ! align="right" |4 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Erroll | 12 June 1452 | | ! rowspan=4|King James II |- ! align="right" |5 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Caithness | 28 August 1455 | | |- ! align="right" |6 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Rothes | 20 March 1457 | | |- ! align="right" |7 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Morton | 14 Mar 1458 | | |- ! align="right" |8 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Buchan | 1469 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Erskine ! rowspan=2|King James III |- ! rowspan="2" align="right" |9 | rowspan="2" align="center" |25px 25px | rowspan=2|The Earl of Eglinton | rowspan=2|3 January 1507 | rowspan=2| | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Earl of Winton |- | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Ardrossan ! King James IV |- ! align="right" |10 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Moray | 30 January 1562 | | {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} Baron Stuart ! rowspan=2|Queen Mary I |- ! align="right" |11 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Mar | 22 July 1565 | | |- ! align="right" |12 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Home | 4 March 1605 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Douglas ! rowspan=8|King James VI and I |- ! align="right" |13 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Perth | 4 March 1605 | | |- ! rowspan="2" align="right" |14 | rowspan="2" align="center" |25px 25px | rowspan=2|The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne | rowspan=2|10 July 1606 | rowspan=2| | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne |- | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Bowes |- ! align="right" |15 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Haddington | 20 March 1619 | | |-style="background:#ffc391;" ! align="right" |— | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Kellie | 12 March 1619 | colspan=2|Earl of Mar (1565) in the Peerage of Scotland. |- ! align="right" |16 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Galloway | 19 September 1623 | | {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} Baron Stewart of Garlies |- ! align="right" |17 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Lauderdale | 14 March 1624 | | |- ! align="right" |18 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Lindsay | 8 May 1633 | | ! rowspan=12|King Charles I |- ! align="right" |19 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Loudoun | 12 May 1633 | | |- ! align="right" |20 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Kinnoull | 25 May 1633 | | {{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} Baron Hay of Pedwardine |- ! align="right" |21 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Elgin | 21 June 1633 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Elgin |- ! align="right" |22 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Wemyss | 25 June 1633 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Wemyss |- ! align="right" |23 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Dalhousie | 29 June 1633 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Ramsay |- ! align="right" |24 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Airlie | 2 April 1639 | | |- ! align="right" |25 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Leven | 11 October 1641 | | |- ! align="right" |26 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Dysart | 3 August 1643 | | |- ! align="right" |27 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Selkirk | 4 August 1646 | | |- ! align="right" |28 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Northesk | 1 November 1647 | | |-style="background:#ffc391;" ! align="right" |— | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Kincardine | 26 December 1647 | colspan=2|Earl of Elgin in the Peerage of Scotland. |-style="background:#ffc391;" ! align="right" |— | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Balcarres | 9 January 1651 | colspan=2|Earl of Crawford in the Peerage of Scotland. ! rowspan=7|King Charles II |- ! align="right" |29 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Dundee | 8 September 1660 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Glassary |- ! align="right" |30 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Newburgh | 31 December 1660 | | |- ! align="right" |31 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Annandale and Hartfell | 23 April 1662 | | |- ! align="right" |32 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Dundonald | 12 May 1669 | | |- ! rowspan="2" align="right" |33 | rowspan="2" align="center" |25px 25px | rowspan=2|The Earl of Kintore | rowspan=2|20 June 1677 | rowspan=2| | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Viscount Stonehaven |- | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Stonehaven |- ! align="right" |34 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Dunmore | 16 August 1686 | | ! King James VII and II |-style="background:#ffc391;" ! align="right" |— | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Melville | 8 April 1690 | colspan=2|Earl of Leven in the Peerage of Scotland. ! rowspan=4|King William II and III |- ! align="right" |35 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Orkney | 3 January 1696 | | |-style="background:#ffc391;" !— | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of March | 20 April 1697 | colspan=2|Earl of Wemyss in the Peerage of Scotland. |- !36 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Seafield | 24 June 1701 | | |- !37 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Stair | 8 April 1703 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Oxenfoord ! rowspan=6|Queen Anne |- ! rowspan="2" |38 | rowspan="2" align="center" |25px 25px | rowspan=2|The Earl of Rosebery | rowspan=2|10 April 1703 | rowspan=2| | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Earl of Midlothian |- | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Rosebery |- !39 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Earl of Glasgow | 12 April 1703 | | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Fairlie |- |}

=== Extant viscountcies === {{see also|List of viscountcies in the peerages of Britain and Ireland#Viscountcies in the Peerage of Scotland, 1606–1707}} {| class="wikitable sortable" !# ! Shield ! Title ! Creation ! Other Viscountcy or higher titles ! Monarch |- !1 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Viscount Falkland | 10 November 1620 | ! King James VI and I |- !2 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Viscount of Arbuthnott | 16 November 1641 | ! King Charles I |- !3 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Viscount of Oxfuird | 19 April 1651 | ! King Charles II |}

=== Extant lordships of Parliament === {{see also|List of lordships of Parliament}} * {{legend2|#ADD8E6|Subsidiary title.|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {| class="wikitable sortable" !# ! Shield ! Title ! Creation ! Other Lordship or higher titles ! Monarch |- ! align="right" |1 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Forbes | 1442 | ! rowspan=5|King James III |- ! align="right" |2 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Gray | 1445 | |- ! align="right" |3 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Saltoun | 1445 | |- ! align="right" |4 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Sinclair | 1449 | |- ! align="right" |5 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Borthwick | 1452 | |- ! align="right" |6 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Lovat | 1464 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Lovat ! King James III |- ! align="right" |7 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Sempill | 1488 | ! rowspan=3|King James IV |- ! align="right" |8 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Herries | 1490 | |- ! align="right" |9 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Elphinstone | 14 January 1510 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Elphinstone |- ! align="right" |10 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Torphichen | 24 January 1564 | ! Queen Mary I |- ! align="right" |11 | align="center" |25px | The Lord Kinloss | 2 February 1602 | ! rowspan=3|King James VI and I |- ! align="right" |12 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Balfour of Burleigh | 16 July 1607 | |-style="background:#ADD8E6;" ! align="right" |13 | align="center" |25px | The Lord Dingwall | 8 June 1609 | Baron Lucas in the Peerage of England. |- ! align="right" |14 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Napier | 4 May 1627 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Ettrick ! rowspan=5|King Charles I |- ! align="right" |15 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Fairfax of Cameron | 18 October 1627 | |- ! align="right" |16 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Reay | 20 June 1628 | |- ! align="right" |17 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Elibank | 18 March 1643 | |- ! align="right" |18 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Belhaven and Stenton | 15 December 1647 | |- ! align="right" |19 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Rollo | 10 January 1651 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Baron Dunning ! King Charles II |- ! align="right" |20 | align="center" |25px 25px | The Lord Polwarth | 26 December 1690 | ! King William II and III |}

== See also == {{Portal|Scotland}} * ''The Scots Peerage'', nine-volume book series * Barons in Scotland * Noblesse * Peerage of England * Welsh peers and baronets * Peerage of Ireland * History of the Peerage

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Peerage of Scotland}} * [http://www.burkespeerage.com/ BurkesPeerage.com]

* Peerage Scotland Peerage * Category:Scottish nobility