Many faithful Yuwie friends will know that I am titled Laird Glencairn. This is a hereditary title which I can pass on, and it means Mrs. Noot54 can style herself Lady Glencairn. Great for the invitations and headed paper, and a fantastic conversation opener! Incidentally, ‘Laird’ is not a scottish way of saying ‘Lord’, it is a separate word meaning ‘landowner’.
About Glencairn
This is a once in a lifetime chance for you and your successors to own a piece of Scottish Highland History and legally bear the title ‘Laird or Lady of Glencairn’ in the historic Highland County of Caithness.
The famous ‘Grey Cairns of Camster’ lie in the heather like two grey whales and are but a short walk from our estate, they date back over 4,500 years. This is the Oldest Stone Age site in Britain, and the long Cairn of Camster was used for many centuries as a burial chamber for the first Highland Clan Chiefs.
Near Glencairn you will also find another two ancient sites; The Cairn O’ Get, and the mysterious Hill O’ Many Stanes. These rows of stones set out on the hillside date from the Bronze Age. Many of the place names in Caithness bear witness to the Viking invasion of Britain, names such as Lybster, Scrabster, Camster, Keiss and Freswick.
The large number of sheltered and hidden bays along the coastline of Caithness lured the Vikings - many settlements were built and used as staging posts for forays inland.
The counties of Caithness and Sutherland suffered greatly during the time of the Highland Clearances when, after the rebellion of the Highland clans in 1745 was crushed on Culloden Moor, the Highland chiefs came to realise that they had little need for the formidable fighting qualities and the fierce clan loyalties of the native highlander.
Where once a clan chief counted his wealth in the number of broadsword wielding warriors he could command into battle; soon he was to count his wealth in the number of sheep he could graze on the now empty hills.
In the words of the Caithness Seer:
“Mo thruaighe ort a thir, tha’n caoraich mhor a’ teachd!”…
…”Woe to thee, oh land, the Great Sheep is coming!”
But these same Highlanders’ qualities were needed elsewhere. In America, Canada, Australia and the many other lands to which these proud, hard - working people were driven.
The man who signed the peace treaty acknowledging the Independence of the United States of America was in fact a Caithnessian.
Richard Oswald from Dunnet made a fortune as an 18th century merchant in London, and acquired extensive estates in America and the West Indies through marriage.
He became a diplomat and signed the treaty on behalf of the British Government; the American signatory being the famous scientist/politician, Benjamin Franklin.
Okay - that’s where it is and what it is - how did I get to be Laird Glencairn?
I won the title in a Radio quiz show on BBC Radio 2 hosted by Steve Wright! Along with loads of other stuff like an exclusive screen filming for a cinema full of my guests, some Elvis stuff, digital radio and a George Foreman grill!
This doesn’t mean it’s not valid - it’s all legal and I have the deeds to prove it.
Just thought it was time to share!
