Alexander Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan

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Alexander Stewart
The Wolf of Badenoch

Stewart's sarcophagus-effigy at Dunkeld Cathedral, where he was buried.
Born Approx. 1343
Died July 24, 1394
Title 1st Earl of Buchan
Term 13821394
Predecessor John Comyn
(First Line)
Successor John Stewart (Second Line)
Spouse Eupheia Leslie
Children Alexander Stewart
The "Wolf's Lair": Lochindorb Castle at Lochindorb in Badenoch, stronghold of Alexander.
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The "Wolf's Lair": Lochindorb Castle at Lochindorb in Badenoch, stronghold of Alexander.

Alexander Stewart, called the Wolf of Badenoch (1343July 24, 1394), was a Scottish prince and the first Earl of Buchan of the second creation of the title, from 1382 to his death. He was also Justiciar of the North, but not an effective one. Alexander was the son of King Robert II of Scotland by his first wife, Elizabeth Mure of Rowallan. His nickname was earned due to his notorious cruelty and rapacity.

Alexander was known to set the forest of Rothiemurchus on fire to drive out deer and boars so that they might be hunted more easily. He tried to divorce his childless wife, Euphemia Leslie, Countess of Ross, and when the Bishop of Moray reprimanded him for this, Alexander began a feud with the Bishop. On 17 June 1390 he took revenge on the Bishop by burning two monasteries, the cathedral and Royal Burgh of Elgin, along with the Maison Dieu Hospital and the parish church. His brother King Robert III of Scotland was outraged and ordered him to pay reparations for this crime.

He died in 1394, and was buried at the Cathedral of Dunkeld, Perthshire. His sarcophagus tomb, topped by an effigy in armour, is one of the few Scottish royal monuments to have survived from the Middle Ages. He left only an illegitimate son, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar.

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