By order of Pope Clement V, the lands of the Order were passed into the keeping of the Order of St. John, The Knights Hospitaller. They were eventually lost in the 16th century by the order of Mary Queen of Scots during the Reformation. The Order of the Temple's strong attachment to the Royal House of Bruce passed to the House of Stewart, and the fortunes of the Order waxed and waned with history. Many of the great families of Scotland were associated with the Order and its knights were always in the forefront of Scotland's struggle to remain independent.
When Viscount John Graham of Claverhouse, "Bonnie Dundee", fell leading the defense of the Scottish Crown at the battle of Killicrankie in 1688, he was Scotland's Grand Master of the Order.
When Viscount John Graham of Claverhouse, "Bonnie Dundee", fell leading the defense of the Scottish Crown at the battle of Killicrankie in 1688, he was Scotland's Grand Master of the Order.
Prince Charles Edward Stewart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie", was also a Scottish Grand Master of the Templars. On September 30, 1745, during the last Jacobite rising, Prince Charles held a private audience for the Knights of the Temple in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. Of this gathering, the Duke of Perth wrote to Lord Ogilvy that:
"It is truly a proud thing to see our Prince in the Palace of his fathers with all the best blood in Scotland around him. Our noble prince looked most gallant in the white robe of the Order and took his profession like a worthy Knight."
Although never ceasing to exist, the Order reached its lowest point with the Battle of Culloden and the passing of the house of Stewart. Many of the Templars simply went underground. And, a number of the Scottish nobles were forced into exile in France and Luxemburg where they kept the Order alive, maintaining its traditions far from home. For the next century, Scottish knights in exile dedicated their efforts to the return of the House of Stewart and to the recovery of their personal estates in Scotland from France and established a commandery of the Order in Aberdeen. After the middle of the 19th century, little was heard of the Order and it is said that it maintained an exclusive aloofness until well into the 20th century. Since the Second World War, the Order has enjoyed a successful resurgence in Scotland and throughout the world.
"It is truly a proud thing to see our Prince in the Palace of his fathers with all the best blood in Scotland around him. Our noble prince looked most gallant in the white robe of the Order and took his profession like a worthy Knight."
Although never ceasing to exist, the Order reached its lowest point with the Battle of Culloden and the passing of the house of Stewart. Many of the Templars simply went underground. And, a number of the Scottish nobles were forced into exile in France and Luxemburg where they kept the Order alive, maintaining its traditions far from home. For the next century, Scottish knights in exile dedicated their efforts to the return of the House of Stewart and to the recovery of their personal estates in Scotland from France and established a commandery of the Order in Aberdeen. After the middle of the 19th century, little was heard of the Order and it is said that it maintained an exclusive aloofness until well into the 20th century. Since the Second World War, the Order has enjoyed a successful resurgence in Scotland and throughout the world.
Templars in Scotland After Bannockburn
© Grand Priory of the Scots - Grand Bailiwick of the Scots 2024
