Clan Leslie
Encyclopedia
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
Scottish clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
.
Origins
The family name comes from the Leslie lands of AberdeenshireAberdeenshire (historic)
Aberdeenshire or the County of Aberdeen is a registration county of Scotland. This area is also a lieutenancy area.Until 1975 Aberdeenshire was one of the counties of Scotland, governed by a county council from 1890...
and was to become famous in Germany, Poland, France and Russia. According to tradition, a Hungarian (or more likely by onomastics and typical of the times as well as later Leslie history, a Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
an of Varangian origins) nobleman, named Bartholomew
Bartholomew
Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified as Nathaniel . He was introduced to Christ through St. Philip, another of the twelve apostles as per , where the name Nathaniel first appears. He is also mentioned as “Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee” in...
arrived in the retinue of Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile
Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile
Agatha was the wife of Edward the Exile and mother of Edgar Ætheling, Saint Margaret of Scotland and Cristina of England...
. Bartholomew became Chamberlain to Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Margaret of Scotland
Saint Margaret of Scotland , also known as Margaret of Wessex and Queen Margaret of Scotland, was an English princess of the House of Wessex. Born in exile in Hungary, she was the sister of Edgar Ætheling, the short-ruling and uncrowned Anglo-Saxon King of England...
. Bartholomew later married Malcolm III sister, Princess Beatrix of Scotland. His brother inlaw Malcolm III made him Governor of Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
.No trace can be found in the Ragman Rolls of any members of the Leslie family-despite their strong connection to a number of claimants to the Scots crown.We can only surmise that they viewed the slaughter by Edward I at Berwick upon Tweed with disdain. The family sided with Robert the Bruce against firstly The Comyn in the Buchan and secondly Edward I and as a result were awarded large tracts of Aberdeenshire. They fought at the Battle of Bannockburn.
Sir Andrew de Lesly was one of the signatories when a letter, the Declaration of Arbroath
Declaration of Arbroath
The Declaration of Arbroath is a declaration of Scottish independence, made in 1320. It is in the form of a letter submitted to Pope John XXII, dated 6 April 1320, intended to confirm Scotland's status as an independent, sovereign state and defending Scotland's right to use military action when...
, was sent to the Pope in 1320 asserting Scotland's independence.The first Leslie in Aberdeenshire was Alexander who was Constable of The Bass in Inverurie on behalf of the kings brother.His son Walter died at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411 together with six of his cousins from Balquhain.
There is a story that links the Leslie family to the "Holy Rood" (a piece of the cross of Christ.On a website speaking on the topic of the Knights Templar the Leslie Clan rode with Knights Templar in the times of Sinclair involvement with the Knights Templar.
16th century
During the Anglo-Scottish WarsAnglo-Scottish Wars
The Anglo-Scottish Wars were a series of wars fought between England and Scotland during the sixteenth century.After the Wars of Scottish Independence, England and Scotland had fought several times during the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In most cases, one country had attempted to...
George de Lesly was the Leslys' first Earl. His grandson, the 2nd Earl, was killed at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513 and the third Earl, also George, carried out a private family vendetta on the life of David Beaton, cardinal Archbishop of St Andrews. At the trial he was acquitted.
Fetternear which became the home of the Leslie,s of Balquhain,Wardes and Warthill includes the remains of a 14th-century palace, home of Bishop Alexander Kininmund who, in 1320, drafted the Declaration of Arbroath, the letter sent to Pope John XXII in Avignon declaring that the Scots would never be subjected to English rule. It also incorporates the remains of even earlier palaces and sites of settlement dating back 4,000 years.
After the Reformation in Scotland in 1560, Fetternear became the principal Scottish seat of the Leslies of Balquhain and Fetternear. It had been granted to the family as a reward for saving St Machar's cathedral, Aberdeen, from destruction. In the 17th century, the family became successful mercenaries, acquiring through might, diplomacy and marriage a string of properties in central and eastern Europe. Their strong Catholic faith helped sustain Fetternear as a centre of recusancy, as evidenced by a religious plaque carrying IHS and MRA monograms set into the facade of the existing 17th-century palace, now only a shell. Given Leslie links with central Europe, it is significant that the combination of monograms, extremely rare in Scotland, is characteristically used in the Alps.
In 1544 the Clan Ruthven, who held considerable sway over Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
from their nearby Castle Huntingtower, often disputed the authority of the Clan Charteris
Clan Charteris
-Origins of the Name:Chartres, the French city famed for its cathedral, is claimed as the origin of this name. William, a son of the Lord of Chartres, is said to have come to England with the Norman Conquest, and his son or grandson came north to Scotland with the retinue of David I...
, which led to a bitter and bloody feud. In 1544 Patrick, Lord Ruthven, was elected Provost of Perth, but at the instigation of Cardinal Beaton, who suspected Ruthven of Protestant sympathies, was deprived of the office, and John Charteris of Kinfauns was appointed in his stead. The city declined to acknowledge Charteris, and barred the gates against him. Clan Charteris
Clan Charteris
-Origins of the Name:Chartres, the French city famed for its cathedral, is claimed as the origin of this name. William, a son of the Lord of Chartres, is said to have come to England with the Norman Conquest, and his son or grandson came north to Scotland with the retinue of David I...
, along with Lord Gray
Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray
Patrick Gray, 4th Lord Gray was a Scottish landowner and Sheriff of Angus active during the war of the Rough Wooing as a supporter of the Scottish Reformation.-Family:...
and Clan Leslie, gathered their forces and attacked the town. They were repulsed by the Clan Ruthven who were assisted by their neighbours the Clan Moncreiffe
Clan Moncreiffe
-Origins of the Clan:The Moncreiffes are of great antiquity, and possibly descend through a female stem of the Celtic Royal Dynasty. The name Moncreiffe is derived from the Barony of Moncreiffe in Perthshire. Their lands take their name from the Gaelic name Monadh Croibhe meaning hill of the sacred...
, and Charterises was forced to flee. The Ruthvens remained Provosts of Perth until William Ruthven, Earl of Gowrie, was executed in 1584. In 1552 John Charteris had been killed by the earl's heir in the High Street in Edinburgh.
John Leslie, Bishop of Ross was born in 1526. He was the most loyal of Mary, Queen of Scots's supporters during the turbulent times of 1562. It was John Leslie who wrote for her the famous History of Scotland.
In 1571 the Clan Leslie joined forces with the Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
against their bitter enemies the Clan Forbes
Clan Forbes
Clan Forbes is a Lowland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Origins:Concerning the origin of this Scottish clan, John of Forbes, the first upon record, seems to have been a man of importance in the time of William the Lion, and was the father of Fergus, from whom the clan are descended....
. The Gordons were also joined by Clan Irvine
Clan Irvine
-Origins of the clan:As a surname Irvine is of territorial origins from one of two places of the same name. Firstly from Irving, an old parish in Dumfriesshire and from Irvine in Ayrshire....
and Clan Seton
Clan Seton
Clan Seton is a Scottish clan which does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan.-Origins of the Clan:The name Seton is believed to be derived from the village of Sai in Normandy although other explanations have been suggested, such as from Tranent meaning "a sea...
. The Forbes were joined by Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of French origin. The Clan has been strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. Since its founding, the Clan has dominated local politics and been active in every major military conflict...
, Clan Keith
Clan Keith
Clan Keith is a Scottish clan associated with Aberdeenshire and Caithness.-Origins:It is said that a Scottish warrior slew the Danish General Camus at the legendary Battle of Barrie in 1010. For this, King Máel Coluim II of Scotland dipped three fingers into the blood of the slain and drew them...
and Clan Crichton
Clan Crichton
Clan Crichton is a Lowland Scottish clan.-Clan history:The lands of Kreitton formed one of the earliest baronies around Edinburgh and are mentioned in charters of the early 12th century.-Early Crichtons:...
. The feud between the Gordons and Forbes which had gone on for centuries culminated in two full scale battles: The Battle of Tillieangus
Battle of Tillieangus
The Battle of Tillieangus was fought on 10 October 1571 between the Gordons and the Forbes near White Hill of Tillyangus, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.-Battle:...
and the Battle of Craibstone
Battle of Craibstone
The Battle of Craibstone was fought on 20 November 1571 between Clan Gordon and the Clan Forbes on an area that has now been constructed over, found in central Aberdeen, Scotland....
. It was at the Battle of Tillieangus that the 6th Lord Forbes' youngest son known as Black Aurther Forbes was killed. Legend has it that "he stooped down to quench his thirst and one of the Gordons gave him his death blow through an open joint in his armour".
Thirty Years' War
During the early 17th century, when the Leslies of Fife and Aberdeenshire had divided along religious lines, both branches found scarce employment in opposing forces during the Thirty Years War. General Alexander Leslie of Balgonie fought for Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden. He achieved great fame across Europe for his skills in war and returned to Scotland a Field Marshal.Meanwhile Walter Leslie,a younger son of Leslie of Balquhain had achieved recognition working for the Imperial Austro-Hungarian Empire where he was ordered to killAlbrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
by the Austrian monarch.
By the time the 7th Earl was presented with the Dukedom of Rothes by Charles II in 1680, Walter Leslie of Balquhain had established the House of Leslie in the Holy Roman Empire.
Walter's meteoric rise began in 1634 when he was made 1st Count Leslie by Emperor Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
, Governor of the Styrian -(now Slovenian)-Croatian military border in 1637, son-in-law to the Prince of Liechtenstein in 1640, Field Marshal in 1658 and finally invested in 1666 with the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
in recognition of defeating the Ottomans in 1665. As Imperial Ambassador, he travelled the Danube to Istanbul to conclude the peace treaty with Sultan Mehmet IV, to whom he gave a brace of hunting hounds.
His nephew and heir, Field Marshal James, 2nd Count Leslie was one of the generals responsible for the defence of Vienna in 1683
Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months...
, the most important geopolitical event in Europe until 1815. He and his friend the Earl of Arundel commanded the right wing of John Sobieski's army.
The last of the male line Anthony, 5th Count Leslie died in 1802 when the family seat of Nove Med Matyij was sold. Of particular interest are the Roman Catholic vestments made from the silver braid taken as plunder after the Battle and siege of Vienna in 1683.They presently reside in the Museum of Blairs in Aberdeen having been given to the Catholic Church by the Leslies of Balquhain and Fetternear.The family is also celebrated on the roof of the Scots Church in Vienna which was erected by the Habsburg rulers in order to thank the Scots who fought at the Siege of Vienna. Alexander Leslie of Warthill's brother William (c.1650–1727) became Prince-Bishop Count William Leslie of Laibach/Ljubljana on 5 January 1718 until his death on 4 April 1727.One of the family's ancestral castles at Warthill built in approx. 1200, is still the seat of the Aberdeenshire Chieftain, Sebastian Leslie of Warthill.
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Commanding the Covenanters Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of LevenAlexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven
Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven was a Scottish soldier in Dutch, Swedish and Scottish service. Born illegitimate and raised as a foster child, he subsequently advanced to the rank of a Dutch captain, a Swedish Field Marshal, and in Scotland became lord general in command of the Covenanters,...
and General Robert Monro captured Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
with a thousand men.
With the Scots Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven went into England in 1640 and defeated the King's soldiers at the Battle of Newburn
Battle of Newburn
The Battle of Newburn was fought on 28 August 1640 during the Second Bishops' War between a Scottish Covenanter army led by General Alexander Leslie and English royalist forces commanded by Edward, Lord Conway. Conway, heavily outnumbered, was defeated, and the Scots went on to occupy the town of...
. For this he was created Earl of Lewis by King Charles I. General Alexander Leslie of Balgonie fought for Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden. He achieved great fame across Europe for his skills in war and returned to Scotland a Field Marshal.
In 1642 Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven went to Ireland and held command alongside Robert Munro (d. 1680)
Robert Munro (d. 1680)
Robert Monro of the Munro of Obsdale family , was a famous Scottish General, from the Clan Munro of Ross-shire. He was a grandson of chief Robert Mor Munro, 15th Baron of Foulis, through his third son George Munro, 1st of Obsdale. However Robert's older brother John Munro retained the title as 2nd...
of the Scottish Army. They were sent to put down a rebellion of Irishmen who had killed Scotts in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. In 1644, Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven commanded Scottish Covenantor forces to victory over English Royalists at the Battle of Marston Moor
Battle of Marston Moor
The Battle of Marston Moor was fought on 2 July 1644, during the First English Civil War of 1642–1646. The combined forces of the Scottish Covenanters under the Earl of Leven and the English Parliamentarians under Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester defeated the Royalists commanded by Prince...
in 1644. This battle was the largest battle of the English and Scottish Civil War, and one of the most decisive. It resulted in a Parliamentarian victory, which meant that the north of England was effectively lost to King Charles for the rest of the war.
During the Civil War General David Leslie, Lord Newark was victorious commanding his Scottish Covenanters force against a Scottish Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
force at the Battle of Philiphaugh
Battle of Philiphaugh
The Battle of Philiphaugh was fought on 13 September 1645 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Royalist army of the Marquess of Montrose was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates.-Prelude:When...
in 1645. The Royalist army of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates
Committee of Estates
The Committee of Estates governed Scotland during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms when the Parliament of Scotland was not sitting. It was dominated by Covenanters of which the most influential faction was that of the Earl of Argyll....
.
Dunaverty Castle
Dunaverty Castle
Dunaverty Castle is located at Southend at the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland. The site was once a fort belonging to the Clan Donald . Little remains of the castle, although the site is protected as a scheduled monument....
was a MacDonald
Clan Donald
Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...
stronghold. During the Civil War it was besiged in 1647 by Scottish supporters of Oliver Cromwell who were led by General David Leslie, Lord Newark from Clan Leslie. The MacDonalds surrendered and then 300 of them were massacred. The castle is nothing more than a ruin now, known as Blood Rock.
During the Civil War General David Leslie, Lord Newark laid siege to the Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
garrison at Kincardine Castle
Kincardine Castle (Auchterarder)
Kincardine Castle is a 19th-century manor house near Auchterarder in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The building lies south-west of the town, on the Ruthven Water. The Gothic house was constructed in 1801–1803, and is a category B listed building....
. The Castle was being held by the Chief of Clan MacNab
Clan MacNab
Clan Macnab is a Highland Scottish clan.-History:Clan Macnab is often said to have been a branch of the Clan Macdonald. However a bond of manrent exists to say that the Clan Macnab was an ally of the Clan Mackinnon and the Clan Gregor...
. MacNab found that it would not be possible to maintain defense and during the night, sword in hand at the head of 300 men they cut their way through the besieging force. All made it through apart from the MacNab chief himself and one other man who were captured and sent to Edinburgh as prisoners of war. The chief was sentenced to death but he escaped and rejoined King Charles and continued to fight. General David Leslie's Scottish Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
force was defeated by the Scottish Parliamentarian forces who were at this point in time loyal to the Parliament of England
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
and Oliver Cromwell at the Battle of Dunbar (1650)
Battle of Dunbar (1650)
The Battle of Dunbar was a battle of the Third English Civil War. The English Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell defeated a Scottish army commanded by David Leslie which was loyal to King Charles II, who had been proclaimed King of Scots on 5 February 1649.-Background:The English...
. David Leslie successfully commanded the Scottish Argyll Government Royalist forces at the Battle of Carbisdale (1650) where he was victorious against Scottish Royaslist forces commanded by James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
.
General David Leslie's Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
Forces were defeated at the Battle of Worcester
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 at Worcester, England and was the final battle of the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell and the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalist, predominantly Scottish, forces of King Charles II...
in 1651. Sir David Leslie who was now commanding Royalist forces, had supported the plan of fighting in Scotland, where royal support was strongest. King Charles, however, insisted on making the war in England.
18th century
During the Jacobite Uprisings the Chief of Clan Leslie supported the British government as he was a Protestant while his kinsmen in Aberdeenshire remained Catholic. The 9th Earl of Rothes now the Duke of Rothes was Vice Admiral of Scotland and governor of Stirling Castle. He commanded a British regiment of cavalry at the Battle of Sherrifmuir in 1715 where he helped defeat the Jacobites. Meanwhile his kinsmen in Aberdeenshire who had remained Roman Catholic continued to support the Jacobite cause in both the 1715 and 1745 rebellions not least because of their contacts with Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Vatican which had continued from the previous century.Castles and Great houses
- The Bass, the original Clan Leslie wooden castle built in 1080–1085. The remains can still be seen down by the River Ury in InverurieInverurieInverurie is a Royal Burgh and town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately north west of Aberdeen on the A96 road and is served by Inverurie railway station on the Aberdeen to Inverness Line...
next to the celtic burial mounds. - Leslie CastleLeslie CastleLeslie Castle is located outside the village of Leslie, northwest of Aberdeen, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The building that stands there now dates back to the 14th century. In the late 1970s, plans started for the castle to be restored and by the end of the 1980s this was completed. In 1995, a...
in Aberdeenshire. A well restored ruin completed by a member of the Clan Leslie. - Castle LeslieCastle LeslieCastle Leslie, home to an Irish branch of Clan Leslie, is located on the 4 km² Castle Leslie Estate adjacent to the village of Glaslough, north-east of Monaghan town in County Monaghan, Ireland.-Architecture:...
in County MonaghanCounty MonaghanCounty Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
UlsterUlsterUlster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, Ireland Built in the 17th-century, the castle and surrounding 1000 acres (4 km²) estate is still a Leslie residence, and an exclusive guest house, spa and school for cuisine. In 2002 Sir Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
married Heather Mills in the Family Church just adjacent to the Castle. - Fetternear PalaceFetternear PalaceFetternear Bishop's Palace is an archaeological site, part of which is incorporated into the now ruined towerhouse and mansion of Fetternear House, near Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, northeastern Scotland...
in Aberdeenshire. Originally a beautiful Bishops Palace. Given to the Leslie's of Balquhain by the Roman Catholic Church in recognition of the fact that they saved St Machars Cathedral in Aberdeen from being burnt by the Covenenters Army in the religious strife that scarred Scotland in the 16th century. - Balquhain CastleBalquhain CastleBalquhain Castle is a ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the stronghold of the Leslies of Balquhain. The castle is located west of Inverurie, and is protected as a scheduled monument.-History:...
in Aberdeenshire. - Balgonie CastleBalgonie CastleBalgonie Castle is located on the south bank of the River Leven near Milton of Balgonie, east of Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. The keep dates from the 14th century, and the remaining structures were added piecemeal until the 18th century...
was acquired by Alexander Leslie in the early 17th century. - Leslie House in FifeFifeFife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
was owned by the Leslies until 1919, when a major fire destroyed most of the house and contents. - Kininvie Manor House in the Spey Valley near Rothes. Originally part of the Balquhain Leslies' estates, then purchased by the second son of the Earl of Rothes (1936), currently the home of Colonel David Leslie.
- Lickleyhead Castle in Aberdeenshire. Is still a Leslie family home.Built circa 1450.
- Warthill Castle in Aberdeenshire. Given to a younger son of the Leslie of Wardes.
- Wardes -was a Leslie property given to the younger son of Leslie of Balquhain.
- Rothie House-owned by a cadet of Lord Rothes,the Crawford-Leslie family. The family died out after the only son was killed on active service at the Battle of Anzio in Italy in 1944.
Clan Chief, the Earl of Rothes
From 1457 the Clan Chief of Clan Leslie also held the position of Earl of RothesEarl of Rothes
Earl of Rothes is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1458 for George Leslie, 1st Lord Leslie. He had already been created Lord Leslie in 1445, also in the Peerage of Scotland. His grandson, the third Earl, having only succeeded his elder brother in March 1513, was killed at the...
. It is currently held by James Malcolm David Leslie, 22nd Earl of Rothes (born 1958).