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The Vanishing Laird: Scotland's Elusive Jacobite, Lord Forbes of Pitsligo

  • Jun 25
  • 2 min read

The Vanishing Laird: Scotland's Elusive Jacobite, Lord Forbes of Pitsligo is available worldwide from Amazon!


This is a remarkable collection of stories gathered by Jim and Liz Taylor, continuing an oral tradition that has echoed for generations along the northern coast of Aberdeenshire.

 

These tales center on the life and legend of Alexander Forbes, fourth Lord Pitsligo, (1678–1762) who remains one of the most beloved figures in Scottish memory. He was a laird of compassion, a religious mystic of quiet depth, and a Jacobite rebel of uncommon honor. Although he inherited the peerage title of “Lord of Parliament,” he lived far more fully as a country laird, tending to his people and lands with humility rather than exercising the privileges of Parliament. His loyalty to religious and political principles shaped the course of his life, even as it cost him his estate and forced him into years of wandering and concealment.

 

His story unfolds against the dramatic backdrop of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, when Charles Edward Stuart, “Bonnie Prince Charlie,” sought to reclaim the British throne for his father James, or “Jacobus” in Latin. Lord Pitsligo joined this coup attempt, which swept across Scotland and ended in defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Amid this turmoil, Lord Pitsligo led his regiment of horsemen with courage and conviction. He eluded capture and lived as a fugitive sustained by the faith and the loyalty of those who sheltered him.

 

With a preface by Clan Forbes historian B.R. Forbes and over a dozen full-page illustrations, this slim volume gathers the oral traditions that kept his memory alive long after his passing. As with all folklore, these tales include embellishments and inconsistencies shaped by generations of retelling. They may not always align with the historical record, yet they reveal something deeper: the affection, reverence, and quiet pride with which ordinary Scots remembered their “vanishing laird.”


James Taylor’s lifelong dedication to oral history began in childhood, when he started recording and preserving local stories. By 1957 he was using reel‑to‑reel equipment and later expanded into video, eventually earning the attention of David Murison of the Scottish National Dictionary. His extensive recordings—now housed in the National Library of Scotland, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Aberdeen—reflect decades spent documenting the voices and traditions of the northeast. Taylor often collaborated with his wife, Liz, and contributed regularly to newspapers and publications, sustaining his commitment to Scotland’s cultural memory.

 

Authors Jim and Liz Taylor have generously granted the exclusive rights and net proceeds of this book to the Clan Forbes Society. This will support the Society's mission to preserve and share the heritage of Clan Forbes.


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