Master (Peerage of Scotland)

The heir-apparent or heir presumptive to a Scottish peerage is known as a Master, or Mistress if the heir is female.

The heir's style is The Master of [Peerage] or The Mistress of [Peerage]. If the master is an heir-apparent, and the peerage has subsidiary titles that could be used as a courtesy title, then the styling of Master is usually forgone. However, if the person is an heir-presumptive, or if the peerage has no subsidiary titles, Master/Mistress is a common styling. However, because the word Mistress is quite archaic, many women choose not to use the style Mistress and instead use the regular styling, e.g. Lady Mary Smith or The Honourable Mary Smith.

Although regarded today as a form of courtesy title, the Mastership is a dignity in its own right, and originally conferred rights of attendance in the Parliament of Scotland.

People who currently hold the title Master or Mistress:

• Lord Alistair James Montagu Hay, Master of Tweeddale, heir-presumptive to the Marquessate of Tweeddale
• Lady Susan Helen of Mar, Mistress of Mar, heiress-presumptive to the Earldom of Mar
• John Andrew Douglas-Hamilton, Lord Daer and Shortcleuch, Master of Selkirk, heir-apparent to the Earldom of Selkirk
• Alexander David Erskine, Master of Mar, heir-presumptive to the Earldom of Mar and Kellie
• Lord David Thomas Kennedy, Master of Cassilis, heir-presumptive to the Earldom of Cassilis (also UK Marquessate of Ailsa)
• James Reginald Drummond, Master of Perth, heir-presumptive to the Earldom of Perth
• Geoffrey Charles Murray, Master of Dunmore, heir-presumptive to the Earldom of Dunmore
• Lucius Alexander Plantagenet Cary, Master of Falkland, heir-apparent to the Viscountcy of Falkland
• John Keith Oxley Arbuthnott, Master of Arbuthnott, heir-apparent to the Viscountcy of Arbuthnott
• Malcom Nigel Forbes, Master of Forbes, heir-apparent to the Lordship of Forbes
• Katherine Fraser, Mistress of Saltoun, heiress-presumptive to the Lordship of Saltoun
• Hugh Alastair Joseph Fraser, Master of Lovat, heir-presumptive to the Lordship of Lovat
• Francis Sempill, Master of Sempill, heir-apparent to the Lordship of Sempill
• Angus John Elphinstone, Master of Elphinstone, heir-presumptive to the Lordship of Elphinstone
• Victoria Bruce, Mistress of Burleigh, heiress-presumptive to the Lordship of Balfour of Burleigh
• Lewis Edward Palmer, Master of Dingwall, heir-apparent to the Lordship of Dingwall (also Great Britain Baron Lucas of Crudwell)
• Francis David Charles Napier, Master of Napier, heir-apparent to the Lordship of Napier
• Æneas Simon Mackay, Master of Reay, heir-apparent to the Lordship of Reay
• Frederick Carmichael Arthur Hamilton, Master of Belhaven, heir-apparent to the Lordship of Belhaven and Stenton
• James David William Rollo, Master of Rollo, heir-apparent to the Lordship of Rollo
• William Henry Hepburn-Scott, Master of Polwarth, heir-apparent to the Lordship of Polwarth

References

• Lundy, Darryl (June 19, 2005). thePeerage.com. Retrieved June 24, 2005.
• ? (2005). NEWS > Year 2003 > April. Retrieved June 24, 2005.