Viscount Colville of Culross, in the County of Perth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 15 July 1902 for the politician and courtier, Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross.[1] He had already been created Baron Colville of Culross, in the County of Perth, in 1885, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.[2] As of 2018[update], the titles are held by his great-great-grandson, the fifth Viscount, who succeeded his father in 2010. The fourth Viscount was a judge and politician. Lord Colville of Culross was one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remained in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, and sat as a crossbencher.
The title of Lord Colville of Culross was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1604 for Sir James Colville, with remainder to his heirs male whatsoever. The title descended among his male heirs until the death of his grandson, the fourth Lord, in c. 1680. He was succeeded by his fourth cousin Alexander Colville, the fifth Lord. His grandson, the seventh Lord, was a distinguished naval commander. His nephew, the ninth Lord, was an Admiral of the White and also sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish representative peer from 1818 to 1849. He was succeeded by his nephew, the aforementioned tenth Lord, who was elevated to a viscountcy in 1902.[3]
Admiral Sir Stanley Colville (1861–1939) was the second son of the 1st Viscount. The diarist Sir John "Jock" Colville (1915–1987) was the third son of the third son of the 1st Viscount.
"Culross" is pronounced Coo-ros. It is a historic village on the Firth of Forth in Fife, and is maintained by the National Trust for Scotland. The titles emanate from an historic Colville connection to Culross Abbey and the Abbot of Culross. The first Lord Colville was awarded the lands of Culross Abbey in June 1592 and its title by James VI, rewarded for services to the Crown especially as a diplomat abroad in religious causes.
The family seat was Worlingham Hall, near Beccles, Suffolk.