Forbes-Gordon and Balbithan House

The 15th and 16th-century feud between the Forbeses and the Gordons was one of the most notorious in all of Scotland. Once allies, these families came to blows over religion and politics, resulting in murders, battles, and conflagrations. However, the Forbes-Gordon family emerged in the 18th century through inheritance rather than marriage, uniting these two prominent Scottish lineages. Their principal estates included Skellater and Balbithan in Aberdeenshire.

The Forbes and Gordon families were two of the most powerful families in northeast Scotland, though historically they were often rivals. Clan Forbes, of Celtic origin, held lands in Aberdeenshire from the 13th century, with Duncan Forbes receiving a royal grant from Alexander III around 1271–72. The Gordons, by contrast, were of Norman-French descent, first appearing in Berwickshire charters in the 12th century. They rose to prominence in the north after receiving the lands of Strathbogie in 1320 from King Robert the Bruce.

At first, the two families were allies. In 1444, for example, Alexander Seton (Lord Gordon) granted lands in Cluny, Midmar, and Tough to Lord Forbes. However, the political environment shifted greatly when many Scottish Protestant lords forced Queen Mary to abdicate in 1567. As Catholics, the Gordons supported the deposed Queen. As a Protestant, William, 7th Lord Forbes, supported her half-brother James Stewart, Earl of Moray, the Regent for her infant son James. This led to a series of strikes and counter-strikes that led to murders, battles, and the destruction of both Castle Forbes (now called Druminnor Castle) and Corgarff Castle. The feud was eventually doused through a series of Acts of the Scottish Parliament in the late 16th century.

The Forbes-Gordon surname was formally adopted in the late 18th century, not through intermarriage but through inheritance. General Benjamin Gordon of Balbithan, a distinguished military officer, owned Balnithan House in the late 18th century. Originally part of the Lordship of Garioch, the lands were granted to Lindores Abbey by King Robert I in the early 14th century. By 1490, the estate had passed to the Chalmers family, who constructed the house around 1560. It later served as a refuge for Jacobites after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and was used by Montrose during the Covenanting period, underscoring its strategic and political relevance. Ownership transitioned through several hands, including James Balfour, an Edinburgh merchant, and the Gordon family.

General Gordon of Balbithan died in 1803 without direct heirs. He entailed his estate to his nephew, William Forbes of Skellater, who then assumed the additional surname Gordon, becoming William Forbes-Gordon. This act of inheritance and name assumption was a common practice among Scottish landed families to preserve the legacy and continuity of estates. The union of names symbolized the merging of two influential houses and their properties.

Situated near Kintore, Balbithan House was a significant Gordon property. William Forbes-Gordon made considerable additions and improvements to the house during his tenure. These properties not only symbolized wealth and status but also anchored the family’s influence in the region. The Forbes-Gordons continued to play a role in local governance and military service into the 19th century.

The Forbes-Gordon family represents a rare case where a historic feud gave way to a symbolic and practical union. While not a romantic merging of clans, the inheritance-driven creation of the Forbes-Gordon name reflects the complexities of Scottish aristocratic succession and the importance of landholding in maintaining family prestige.

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Learn more here:

• Clan Feud: Forbes vs. Gordon

• Skellater House