A name with a number of possible points of origin, the Gordons hold a prominent place in the pages of the drama that is Scotland's frequently turbulent history.
• From about the twelfth century, they were particularly identified with Berwickshire, in the Borders.
• It was through Sir Adam de Gordon, a staunch supporter of the warrior king Robert the Bruce, that the family's fortunes began to truly thrive – with Sir Adam entrusted by Bruce in 1320 to carry the historic Declaration of Arbroath, which sought the Pope's support for Scotland's sovereign rights, to Rome.
