Earldom of Buchan | |
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Creation date | 1469 (Third creation) |
Monarch | James III of Scotland |
Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
First holder | James Stewart, 1st Earl |
Present holder | Malcolm Erskine, 17th Earl |
Subsidiary titles | Lord Cardross |
Seat(s) | Newnham House |
Earldom of Buchan
The Arms of the Realm and Ancient Local Principalities of Scotland |
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan (/mɔːrˈmɛr/, /ˈbʌxən/) was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting passings from female heiresses to sons. Today it is held by the Erskine family as a peerage. The current holder is Malcolm Erskine, 17th Earl of Buchan (b. 1930).
The first recorded person who definitely held the position of mormaer was Gartnait, whose patronage is noted in the Gaelic Notes on the Book of Deer. The latter is the only significant source for the mormaerdom, and its existence makes Buchan one of Scotland's best documented provinces for native cultural institutions. After the death of Fergus, before 1214, Buchan became the first native mormaerdom to pass into the hands of a foreign family, the Comyns, though only through marriage. Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan inherited and continued his mother's title and line until it was conquered and forfeited during the Wars of Scottish Independence.