Gold has been mined in Scotland for centuries. There was a short-lived gold rush in 1852 at Auchtermuchty and Kinnesswood,Alexander Brook, 'Technical Description of the Regalia of Scotland', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 24 (1890), p. 91. and another in 1869 at Baile An Or on the Kildonan burn in Helmsdale in Sutherland.R. Callender & P. Reeson, The Scottish Gold Rush of 1869, Northern Mine Research Society, April 2008 There have been several attempts to run commercial mines. In the Lowther Hills, Leadhills, and Wanlockhead areas gold prospecting and the extraction of lead metal went hand in hand. From 1424, under the Royal Mines Act, until 1592, gold and silver mined in Scotland were deemed to belong to the crown. The 1592 Act vested rights for gold, silver, lead, copper, tin, and other minerals in the king's feudal tenants or other leaseholders, who would pay 10% of any profit to the crown.Mines and Metals Act 1592 The Act also established a Master of Metals as a crown officer,David Ross Stewart, A Treatise on the Law Relating to Mines, Quarries, and Minerals in Scotland (Edinburgh, 1894), pp. 20-22. a position held from June 1592 by Lord Menmuir.Lives of the Lindsays, Or a Memoir of the Houses of Crawford, vol. 1 (London, 1849), pp. 353-4. followed by Thomas Hamilton of Monkland in March 1607.Robert William Cochran-Patrick, Early Records Relating to Mining in Scotland (Edinburgh, 1878), p. lxiv.
Medieval records In 1125 David I of Scotland gave his tenth share of gold mining profits in Fife and Fothrik to Dunfermline Abbey. Fothrik was an area west of Fife, extending towards the Ochils and Alloa. In 1424, James I declared by act of Parliament that gold or silver, and lead ore rich in silver, belonged to the crown, as was customary in other kingdoms.Alexander Brook, 'Technical Description of the Regalia of Scotland', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 24 (1890), p. 90: Registrum de Dunfermelyn (Edinburgh, 1842), p. 16 no. 28.
16th century Mines were opened in 1502 during the reign of James IV of Scotland. The chronicle of Boece and Bellenden mentions the success of the mines of James IV in Clydesdale where gold and azure, a blue copper mineral, were found with little labour.The History and Chronicles of Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1821), p. xxxix. James IV sent his Italian alchemist John Damian to view the workings at Crawfurdmuir in March 1513.HMC 4th Report, p. 517.
The French-born governor or Regent of Scotland, John Stewart, Duke of Albany had a medallion minted from Scottish gold from Crawford Muir in Lanarkshire.Andrea Thomas, Glory and Honour: The Renaissance in Scotland (Edinburgh, 2013), p. 73: James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1903), pp. 10-12, 18-20. Albany employed a French refiner called John Drane.Andrea Thomas, Princelie Majestie (John Donald, 2005), p. 177. The register of the Privy Seal for 1516 records activity related to precious metals. In February 1516, William Cockburn of Skirling was permitted to employ 24 miners at Crawfordmuir. In March 1516, the infant James V of Scotland and Regent Albany leased rights to mine for gold, silver, tin and other metals on Crawford Moor and other places to Patrick Hamilton of Kincavil. In April 1516, an Edinburgh merchant James MacCalzen was given a pardon or remission for exporting newly mined gold and silver or coined bullion, which was an infringement of an Act of Parliament. His remission also included the crime of clipping coins.M. Livingstone, Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, 1 (Edinburgh, 1908), pp. 417 no. 2705, 421, no. 2729, 426 no. 2748.
In December 1525 or January 1526, Gunther von Lauichz, a servant of Christian II of Denmark and the German Joachim Hochstetter, were sent to prospect for gold. John Carmichael younger of Meadowflat undertook to help support their rights.Alison Cathcart, "Kingship in the Reign of James V", Steven J. Reid, Rethinking the Renaissance and Reformation in Scotland (Boydell, 2024), 134: Andrea Thomas, Princelie Majestie (John Donald, 2005), p. 177 fn. 124: HMC 4th Report, p. 517. Hochstetter and his brothers made a contract with the king's guardian, Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (husband of Margaret Tudor), to mint Scotland's silver coinage, but were subsequently employed by Henry VIII at the Combe Martin silver mines. They left after a short period to work in Hungary.Buchanan Sharp, Famine and Scarcity in Late Medieval and Early Modern England (Cambridge, 2016), pp. 166–167: Edward Burns, The Coinage of Scotland, p. 230.
As an adult ruler, James V encouraged further efforts, and had personal jewellery made from Scottish "gold of the mine".Andrea Thomas, Princelie Majestie: The Court of James V (Edinburgh: John Donald), pp. 177-178. James Hamilton of Finnart was paid for three ounces of (presumably) Scottish gold in 1533, which was used to repair the crown. The Captain of Crawford was paid £840 for "gold of the mine".James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1905), pp. 179, 332. The Edinburgh goldsmith John Mosman was involved. In 1539 French-speaking miners arrived from the Duchy of Lorraine sent by the Duchess of Guise,Marguerite Wood, Balcarres Papers, 1 (Edinburgh, SHS, 1923), pp. 17–18, 26–7. and Mosman paid their expenses from Edinburgh to the mines at Crawford Moor and for their equipment.Rosalind K. Marshall, Mary of Guise (London: Collins, 1978), pp. 76–77: Agnes Strickland, Lives of the Queens of Scotland: Mary of Lorraine, 1 (Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1850), pp. 376–378. The royal accounts specify that many pieces made by Mosman were fashioned from Scottish gold. In 1538 Mosman made a hat badge featuring a mermaid, set with diamonds, from the "Kingis awne gold".Sally Rush, 'Looking at Marie de Guise', Études Epistémè, 37 (2020) Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 6 (Edinburgh, 1905), p. 414. Mosman was paid for a nugget of gold, "unwrocht gold of the mynde", that was sent to the Duke of Guise, the father of the queen consort Mary of Guise.James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), pp. 182, 193-4, 289. Mosman added 41 ounces of Scottish gold to the royal crown now kept at Edinburgh Castle.James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 278.
James V and Mary of Guise came to Crawford in July 1541 bringing tapestry to furnish their lodging at Crawford Castle. George Carmichael, son of the Captain of Crawford, presented three ounces of gold to the queen.Jamie Cameron, James V: The Personal Rule (Tuckwell, 1998), p. 199: Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 7 (Edinburgh, 1907), pp. 461, 464: Agnes Strickland, Lives of the Queens of Scotland: Mary of Lorraine, 1 (Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1850), p. 382. James V used, or hoped to use, Scottish gold for his prestigious issues of coinage, and so promote the regal image of the Scottish monarchs in Europe.Andrea Thomas, Princelie Majestie: The Court of James V of Scotland (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2005), pp. 177–181.
The chronicle writer John Lesley mentioned the activities of Dutch or German miners around the year 1541, who had permission from James V to prospect for gold, and after several weeks processed ore from veins at "Crauford mure" into round balls or globules which they exported for further refining. According to Lesley, they exported the ore mainly to protect their interests and investment. Later prospectors doubted the presence of veins of gold.E. G. Cody, Historie of Scotland, 2 (Edinburgh: Scottish Text Society, 1895), pp. 247–248
Reign of Mary, Queen of Scots In December 1546, during the war known as the Rough Wooing, an English border official Thomas Warton wrote to Thomas Wriothesley about gold-mining in Scotland at Crawford Moor, offering to investigate the ground. Wharton recalled a conversation with the Scottish ambassador Adam Otterburn, who said that James IV had mines but only found loose pieces of gold or gold ore rather than a vein, and had spent more on the work than he recovered. Wharton owned one of the gold medallions coined by Albany, said to be minted from Scottish gold.State Papers Henry VIII, 5:4 (London, 1836), pp. 574-5, 1 December 1546.
Mary of Guise wrote for French miners to search silver and gold in 1549.Marcus Merriman, The Rough Wooings (East Linton: Tuckwell, 2000), p. 337. Regent Arran had French miners operating a lead mine on Craufordmuir in 1553. The Privy Council of England discussed the subject of Scottish gold at "Crafordmore" in June 1553.C. S. Knighton, Calendar of State Papers, Domestic, Edward VI (London, 1992), p. 295 no. 826. In January 1554, Henri Cleutin considered the need to increase revenue from Scottish fisheries and mines in the context of the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots.Elizabeth Bonner, "The Politique of Henri II: De Facto French Rule in Scotland, 1550-1554", Journal of the Sydney Society for Scottish History, 7 (1999). p. 96
Mary of Guise became Regent of Scotland, and English miners were sent to Craufordmuir to prospect for gold in July 1554, supported by Robert Carmichael. She paid for five ounces of "gold of the mine" in August and this was delivered to the mint and recorded as "auri Scoticani".James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 10 (Edinburgh, 1913), pp. 229, 231–4, 262. In October 1555 John Carmichael, young Captain of Crauford, was given £560 Scots to buy gold from the miners for Mary of Guise. Some of the gold was delivered to John Misserve, an English worker in the mint who was also described as the "Inglis mynour". He was given a licence to prospect for gold and silver in June 1556. He would sell lead produced during refining to Mary of Guise.James Beveridge, Register of the Privy Seal, 4 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1952), p. 583 no. 3273. He was later discovered to be a counterfeiter of Scottish money.Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 10 (Edinburgh, 1913), pp. 206, 229, 237, 297, 300.
A short guide to Scottish law, the Discours Particulier D'Escosse, written in French by John Bellenden and James MacGill in 1559, explains that the profits from gold mines and silver mines in Scotland, and the royal mint, were understood to belong to the crown, and a proportionate tax was levied. Lead had a different legal status, but because silver was routinely extracted from lead ore its mining rights were also reserved to the crown.Thomas Thomson, Discours Particulier D'Escosse (Edinburgh, Bannatyne Club, 1824), p. 6.
Charles Forrest and Thomas Phillop were managing a mine for Mary, Queen of Scots in the summer of 1562.Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 11 (Edinburgh, 1916), pp. 63, 181. John Stewart of Tarlair, with his son William, were licensed to mine for gold and other metals north of the River Tay to Orkney in March 1546. They were allowed timber from the royal woods for any buildings, and were to sell any gold or silver produced to the royal mint. They were not mine or dig coal pits within ten miles of the royal palaces.John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), pp. 330-1.