| Earldom of Erroll | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creation date | 1453 |
| Created by | James II of Scotland |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | William Hay, 1st Earl of Erroll |
| Present holder | Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll |
| Heir apparent | Harry Thomas William Hay, Lord Hay |
| Remainder to | heirs general of the body of the grantee |
| Subsidiary titles | Lord Hay, Lord Slains |
| Seat(s) | Woodbury House |
| Former seat(s) | New Slains Castle |
Earl of Erroll (/ˈɛrəl/)[1] is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1453 for Sir William Hay. The subsidiary titles held by the Earl of Erroll are Lord Hay (created 1449) and Lord Slains (1452), both in the Peerage of Scotland. The Earls of Erroll also hold the hereditary office of Lord High Constable of Scotland. The office was once associated with great power. The Earls of Erroll hold the hereditary title of Chief of Clan Hay.
The Earl of Erroll is one of four peers entitled to appoint a private pursuivant, with the title "Slains Pursuivant of Arms".[2] Earl of Erroll is also the name of a Scottish highland dance, danced today at Highland games around the world.[3]
The family seat is Woodbury House, near Everton, Bedfordshire.
- ^ Pointon, G. E. (1983). BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 87. ISBN 0-19-282745-6.
- ^ p60-61, Bruce, Alistair, Keepers of the Kingdom (Cassell, 2002), ISBN 0-304-36201-8
- ^ "The Earl of Errol's Reel". Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary. Retrieved 6 April 2015.