Viscounts

The rank of viscount is the most recently created within English, Scottish and British peerages. Its name derives from vice-comes (vice-count), and denotes one responsible for a county, the traditional subdivision of the old shire, of which the earl was originally responsible, and lies directly beneath earl in seniority. It was introduced from Europe into Britain in 1440 by Henry VI when he raised John, Baron Beauchamp, as Viscount Beauchamp, and is most often used as a courtesy title for the heir to one of a higher rank. The first Scottish viscountcy was that of Fentoun, created in 1606 for the son of Thomas Erskine, 1^st Earl of Kellie. Unique to Scotland, the word “of” is often inserted between the title and the location. As the Scottish Peerage was closed as of the Act of Union, there are comparatively few Scottish viscounts. In fact, there are at present only 4 viscountcies that are not subsidiary to any higher title, of Arbuthnott, Falkland, Oxfuird & Stormont, the last being a subsidiary title of the earls of Mansfield in the Peerage of Great Britain but with no higher title within the Peerage of Scotland.

The following is a comprehensive list of all extant and extinct hereditary titles of Viscount in the Peerage of Scotland.

Viscounts of Aboyne (1632) – title created for George Gordon, who later became 2^nd Marquess of Huntly but with special remainder to his second son James Gordon. James never married and the title became extinct.

Viscounts of Air (1622) – originally a subsidiary title of the earls of Dumfries, this is now held by the marquesses of Bute

Viscounts of Aithrie (1703) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Hopetoun

Viscounts of Annand (1622 & 1661 & 1701) – originally a subsidiary title of the Murray earls of Annandale, becoming extinct on the death of the 2^nd Earl, the title was re-created for James Johnstone, 1^st Earl of Annandale and Hartfell and a newer granting was created when the second earl was raised to the title of Marquess of Annandale. Both new creations became dormant on the death of the 3^rd Marquess

Viscounts of Arbuthnott (1641) – extant title

Viscounts of Balquhidder (1676) – a subsidiary title of the marquesses of Atholl

Viscounts of Balquhidder, Glenalmond & Glenlyon (1703) – a subsidiary title of the dukes of Atholl

Viscounts of Belhaven (1633) – a title created for Sir Robert Douglas (b.1573, d.1639) that became extinct at his death

Viscounts of Blasonberrie (1697) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Marchmont, now dormant

Viscounts of Briene (1701) – a subsidiary title of the marquesses of Lothian

Viscounts of Broxmouth (1707) – a subsidiary title of the dukes of Roxburghe

Viscounts of Canada (1633) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Stirling, now dormant

Viscounts of Dalrymple (1703) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Stair

Viscounts of Drumlanrig (1628) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Queensberry

Viscounts of Dundaff (1707) – a subsidiary title of the dukes of Montrose

Viscounts Dundee (1688) – extinct title

Viscounts of Dupplin (1627) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Kinnoull

Viscounts of Falkland (1620) – extant title

Viscounts Frendraught (1642) – a title created for Sir James Crichton, now extinct

Viscounts of Fentoun (1606) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Kellie

Viscounts of Fincastle (1686) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Dunmore

Viscounts of Formartine (1682) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Aberdeen

Viscounts of Forth (1686) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Melfort, now extinct

Viscounts of Garnock (1703) – a title created for the grandson of the 17^th Earl of Crawford, and for a while merged with that title, now passed to the earls of Lindsay

Viscounts of Haddington (1606) – a title created for John Ramsay, who helped the King during the events of the Gowrie Conspiracy, it became extinct at his death

Viscounts of Hermitage (1706) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Delorain

Viscounts of Ilay (1706) – a subsidiary title created for Archibald Campbell, younger brother of John Campbell, 2^nd Duke of Argyll, when he was created 1^st Earl of Ilay. He later succeeded his brother as 3^rd Duke of Argyll. Having no direct male heir the earldom and viscountcy of Ilay became extinct on his death

Viscounts of Inverkeithing (1703) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Rosebery

Viscounts of Inverness (1684) – a subsidiary title of the dukes of Gordon (for whom see the earls of Huntly)

Viscounts of Inglisberry and Nemphlar (1701) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Hyndford

Viscounts of Irvine (1661) – a title created for Henry Ingram, now extinct after the death of the 9^th holder

Viscounts of Jedburgh Forest (1703) – a subsidiary title of the dukes of Douglas (for whom see the earls of Angus)

Viscounts of Kelburn (1703) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Glasgow

Viscounts of Kenmure (1633) – a title created for John Gordon, now extinct after the death of the 11^th holder (nominally after a period of forfeiture)

Viscounts of Kingarth (1703) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Bute

Viscounts of Kingston (1651) – a title created for Alexander Seton, forfeited by the 3^rd holder

Viscounts of Kirkaldie (1690) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Melville

Viscounts of Kirkwall (1696) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Orkney

Viscounts of Kynnaird (1660) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Newburgh, though now extinct by rules of succession

Viscounts of Lauderdale (1616) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Lauderdale

Viscounts of Lochawe & Glenyla (1701) – a subsidiary title of the dukes of Argyll

Viscounts of Lugtoun (1680) – a subsidiary title of the dukes of Rothes, now extinct

Viscounts of Lyon (1677) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne

Viscounts of Maitland (1624) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Lauderdale

Viscounts of Melfort (1685) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Melfort, now extinct

Viscounts of Melgum (1627) – a title created for John Gordon, son of George Gordon, 1^st Marquess of Huntly. He had no male children and the title became extinct at his death

Viscounts of Milsington (1703) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Portmore, now extinct

Viscounts of Mount Crawford (1703) – a title created for the nephew of the 18^th Earl of Crawford, but almost immediately replaced by that of Garnock above

Viscounts of Newburgh (1647) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Newburgh, though now extinct by rules of succession

Viscounts of Nith, Torthorwald & Ross (1684) – originally a subsidiary title of the marquesses of Queensberry, but with the divergence of that title, now held by the dukes of Buccleuch

Viscounts Osborne of Dunblane (1673) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Danby, later the dukes of Leeds, and extinct since 1964

Viscounts of Oxfuird (1651) – extant title, though dormant from 1706 to 1977

Viscounts of Peebles (1697) – a subsidiary title of the earls of March

Viscounts Preston (1681) – extinct title

Viscounts of Primrose (1700) – a title created for the 3^rd Baronet Primrose, now held by the earls of Rosebery

Viscounts of Reidhaven (1701) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Seafield

Viscounts of Riccartoun (1697) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Ruglen, now held by the dukes of Buccleuch

Viscounts of Seafield (1698) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Seafield, now dormant

Viscounts of Stair (1690) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Stair

Viscounts of Stirling (1630) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Stirling, now dormant

Viscounts of Stormont (1621) – extant title

Viscounts of Strathallan (1686) – a title created for William Drummond, the 5^th holder was attainted in 1746, this being reversed in 1824, and the 11^th holder obtained a reversal of the attainder of the earls of Perth

Viscounts of Tarbat (1703) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Cromartie

Viscounts of Tay and Pentland (1677) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Breadalbane

Viscounts of Tiberris (1706) – a title created for the 3^rd Duke of Queensberry, becoming extinct at his death

Viscounts of Walden (1694) – a subsidiary title of the marquesses of Tweeddale

The following is a list of viscountcies in the Peerages of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom that have their geographical location in Scotland. This list in incomplete.

Viscounts of Melgund in the County of Forfar (1813) – a subsidiary title of the earls of Minto

(Last updated: 05/01/2011)

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