The chief interest in Ross-shire belonged to the two branches of the clan Mackenzie, the earls of Seaforth (attainted after the ’15) and the earls of Cromarty (attainted after the ’45). At the general election of 1754 there was a contest between Kenneth Mackenzie, erroneously styled Lord Fortrose (son of the 5th Earl of Seaforth) and James Stuart Mackenzie, supported by his father-in-law the Duke of Argyll, and by Lord Ross.
The principal interests in Roxburghshire belonged to John Ker, 3rd Duke of Roxburghe, and Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch, both under age in 1755. During their minorities, Walter Scott of Harden, chief by male descent of ‘all the Scotts in the south of Scotland’, was virtually in control of the county. On leaving Parliament in 1765, Scott arranged the return of Gilbert Elliot of Minto, who held the seat unopposed until his death in 1777.
Perthshire was a centre of Jacobitism, and a high proportion of its freeholders, though entitled to enrolment, declined to qualify by taking the oaths of allegiance. The predominating interest in 1754 belonged to James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl, who had displaced his attainted brother in the dukedom. Another brother, Lord George Murray, also attainted, lived in exile; while Atholl’s half-brother, Lord John Murray, represented Perthshire 1734-61.
At the general election of 1754 William Mure, the sitting Member for Renfrewshire, was returned unopposed. An intimate friend of Bute, Mure early in 1759 took the lead in sponsoring the candidature of Patrick Craufurd in Ayr Burghs, in opposition to Lord Loudoun and the Duke of Argyll. This drew down upon him an opposition in Renfrewshire, where Lord Glencairn sponsored the candidature of William Cuninghame of Craigends.Caldwell Pprs. ii (1), p. 120; letters from Allan Whitefoord and Ld. Glencairn, Loudoun mss. Mure wrote to Bute on 16 Oct.
Orkney and Shetland long retained their Norse customs, but while Orkney was gradually absorbed into the Scottish feudal system the Shetland landowners, or odal men, never applied for Scottish charters or a valuation of their holdings. Throughout our period there were no Shetland voters on the electoral roll. The principal interest about 1754 belonged to the Earl of Morton, but his influence was constantly disputed by the independent lairds.
The principal interest in Peeblesshire belonged to the Earl of March (who in 1778 succeeded his cousin as Duke of Queensberry). There was no contest during this period, and the Members were all from established county families.
In Nairnshire the leading interest throughout this period was that of the Campbells of Calder. Of the 20 voters on the roll in 1788, eight were said to be in the Calder interest, and three in that of Brodie of Brodie.
The strongest interest in Linlithgowshire belonged to the family of Hope, earls of Hopetoun, but the Cunynghames of Livingstone and the Dundases of Dundas had powerful secondary interests. Charles Hope Weir, son of the Earl of Hopetoun, had represented the county since 1743, when he defeated George Dundas. In 1754 his return was unopposed, but in 1761 Sir David Cunynghame declared against him. Despite ministerial support, Hope Weir carried his election by only one vote. His chagrin can be gauged from the explanation he offered Andrew Mitchell, 6 April 1761:Add. 6861, f. 316.
