author
Sir Robert Gordon
A 17th-century Scottish courtier and historian, he is best remembered for preserving the story of the powerful house of Sutherland. His writing opens a window onto noble life, politics, and family history in early modern Scotland.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in 1580 at Dunrobin Castle in Sutherland, Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun was a Scottish politician, courtier, and writer. He studied at St Andrews and later in Edinburgh and France, then built a career close to the royal court under James VI and I.
As an author, he is best known for writing a history of the earls of Sutherland, a work that made him an important recorder of Highland and noble history. His account helped preserve details of family lineage, local conflict, and political life that might otherwise have been lost.
Gordon died in 1656, but his reputation has lasted because of that historical work. For readers today, he offers something rare: the voice of a well-connected insider who was also deeply interested in recording the past.