Lord Torphichen is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created by Queen Mary in 1564 for Sir James Sandilands (to whom she was related), with remainder to his heirs and assigns whatsoever.[1] [2] Sandilands had previously served as Preceptor of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta in Scotland, and took the title from the Torphichen Preceptory in West Lothian. He was succeeded by his great-nephew James Sandilands (who was also the current Feudal Baron of Calder). Thereafter the two titles of Lord Torphichen and Feudal Baron of Calder were conjoined, and all later lords were descended from the second lord Torphichen. His great-grandson, the seventh Lord, was a strong supporter of the union with England. His grandson, the ninth Lord, and great-great-grandson, the twelfth Lord, sat in the House of Lords as Scottish Representative Peers. As of 2010[update] the title is held by the latter's great-grandson, the fifteenth Lord, who succeeded his father in 1975. He is Chief of Clan Sandilands and also holds the feudal title of Baron of Calder, dating to the 14th century.
The title of the lordship of Parliament, Torphichen, is pronounced "Tor-fikken".
The ancestral seat of the Sandilands family is Calder House, historically called Caldour Castle, in Mid Calder, West Lothian.
The presumptive heir is the present baron's cousin, Robert Powell Sandilands, Master of Torphichen (b. 1950)
The heir of the presumptive heir is his oldest son, Ashton Powell Sandilands (b. 1976)