P - EARLIER SCOTTISH EARLDOMS

In Hereditary Succession

1	CAITHNESS	870	Extant
2	Orkney	870	Surrendered 1478
3	Buchan	p. 1033	Mentioned in 6th century
4	Moray	c. 1086	-
5	Fife	p. 1093	Previously in royal family
6	MAR	p. 1107	Mentioned in 1014; extant
7	Dunbar or March	c. 1070	-
8	Atholl	c. 1115	Branch of royal line
9	Angus	c. 1115	Mentioned in 10th century
10	Stratherne	c. 1115	-
11	Menteith	p. 1153	Detached from Stratherne
12	Ross	p. 1153	-
13	Carrick	c. 1186	-
14	Lennox	c. 1205	Cadets of Fife
15	SUTHERLAND	1228	Severed from Caithness
16	Galloway	-	-
17	Mearns	-	Mentioned 1094

Of these, the earldoms of Caithness, Mar, and Sutherland are still extant, but have been transmitted through female succession. The Sinclairs thus hold the oldest comitial dignity in Britain, although the precedence only dates from [1455]. They also represent the earliest Earls of Atholl, Angus, and Stratherne.