George Mackenzie

George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie was a particularly clever man and a wily politician. His enemies called him ‘The Eel’ and some of his schemes ‘maggoty’. Despite his tortuous career, he served under four reigns faithfully and was undoubtedly the senior politician of Scotland, being responsible both as Lord Advocate and Secretary of State for much of the governance of the country. 

Whilst living at Holyrood Palace he was responsible for its modernisation and oversaw the building work. His influence with  various monarchs was vital to the peace and welfare of Scotland and though involved in the Lauderdale plot and other ‘maggoty’ schemes he invariably bounced back into favour and outlived his enemies. 

He was a man of towering stature who lived to be 84. His second marriage was to a much younger woman, Margaret, The Countess of Wemyss, who apparently ‘made him young again’ as several contemporary and saucy rhymes indicated. Known for his humour, he would likely have enjoyed them. He had a rather wonderful sister-in-law, Anne, Buccleuch and Cornwallis, Duchess of Monmouth, who was known as ‘ABC’. One of her claims to fame was to emerge naked out of a (presumably large) soup tureen on Charles II’s dining table. 

George is buried on the crest of the former Viking Moot Hill in Dingwall beneath the Cromartie Monument in what is now a car park, opposite St Clement's church.