| Administrative History | James Hay, 14th Earl of Erroll [1726-1778], son of the Earl of Kilmarnock (who had been executed for his part in the 1745 rebellion), and elder brother of Charles Boyd. He succeded to the earldom of Erroll through the female line, and by virtue of his succession became hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland. His Scottish home was Slain castle, near Peterhead. Beattie was introduced to him by Robert Arbuthnot, who in 1760 persuaded the Earl to canvass Lord Milton and the Duke of Argyll to support Beattie's appoinment to the vacant philosophy chair at Marischal College. Beattie became a frequent visitor to Slain Castle and enjoyed a warm relationship with Lord Erroll until the latter's death in 1778. Beattie dedicated both his early books of verse -Original Poems and Translations in 1760, and Poems on Several Subjects in 1766 - to him. With the Earls permission he named his first son, James Hay, born in 1768, after him |