James Sutherland, 2nd Lord Duffus

He was the eldest son of Alexander Sutherland, 1st Lord Duffus and his wife Jean, daughter and co-heiress of Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth and who was also the widow of John Sinclair, Master of Berriedale.

His mother, Lady Mackenzie of Seaforth wrote to him to say that "Many a man has fallen in such ane accident worse than your circumstances was, yet has been at peace with God and all the world, and lived very happily for all that".

His remission was not long delayed as on 16 March 1689 he was among those who subscribed to the act declaring the legality of the meeting of the Estates summoned by the Prince of Orange, and on 15 April 1690 he also took the oath of allegiance to the Prince as William III of England.

[2][3] In 1695, an Act was passed which gave him the privilege of having two yearly fairs and a weekly market at Duffus.

[2] He married by contract Margaret, eldest daughter of Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth on 5 September 1674.

Ruins of Duffus Castle , seat of the Sutherlands of Duffus until the death of James Sutherland, 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705