Clan Ogilvy traces its lineage to Gilliebide, the second son of Ghillechriost, Earl of Angus. In the mid-12th century, Gilliebide acquired the Barony of Ogilvy in Glamis Parish. His descendant, Sir Patrick de Ogilvy, later gained the lands of Kettins in Angus. Another notable descendant, Sir Walter Ogilvy of Wester Powrie and Auchterhouse, became the Hereditary Sheriff of Angus. In 1296, Sir Patrick de Ogilvy paid homage to King Edward I of England, though his sons subsequently joined forces with Robert the Bruce.
Sir James Ogilvy, a diplomat to Denmark, was elevated to 1st Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, a title he held until his death in 1504. James, the 7th Lord Ogilvy, supported King Charles I and became the 1st Earl of Airlie in 1639. His eldest son, Lord Ogilvy, was a trusted ally of the Marquis of Montrose. Captured at the Battle of Philiphaugh in 1644 and sentenced to death, he famously escaped imprisonment disguised in his sister’s clothes.
The Ogilvys remained steadfast in their support for the Stuart dynasty. Lord Ogilvy was attainted for backing the Old Pretender during the Jacobite Rising of 1715. His son, David Ogilvy, organized a regiment supporting Prince Charles Edward Stuart during the 1745 rebellion and fought at Culloden in 1746. Following defeat, David fled to France, and it took over 150 years before the family regained the Airlie titles.
The 9th and 10th Earls of Airlie each served as Lord Chamberlain to Her Majesty the Queen. In 1963, Angus Ogilvy (1928–2004), brother of the 10th Earl, married HRH Princess Alexandra, daughter of the Duke of Kent.
In addition to Airlie, the Ogilvys also held the earldoms of Findlater and Seafield. In 1638, James, Lord Ogilvy, was named Earl of Findlater. Without a male heir, he obtained a special patent ensuring the title passed to his son-in-law, Patrick Ogilvy of Inchmartine, also descended from Sir Walter Ogilvy of Auchterhouse. James Ogilvy, younger son of the 3rd Earl of Findlater and an advocate of the 1707 Union, acquired the title Earl of Seafield in 1701, eventually inheriting his father’s Findlater title as well. After the 4th Earl of Seafield’s death, the Findlater title became dormant. In 1811, however, Sir Lewis Grant successfully claimed the Seafield earldom, adopting the surname Grant-Ogilvie.
Marion Ogilvie (d.1575), known as the mistress of Cardinal Beaton, bore him several children. John Ogilvie (1580–1615), a Jesuit priest, was martyred at Glasgow Cross for upholding Papal supremacy and was canonized in 1976. Sir George Ogilvie of Barras (d.1679) bravely defended Dunnottar Castle against Cromwell’s forces, playing a crucial role in safeguarding Scotland's Crown Jewels. William Ogilvie (1736–1819), from Pittensear near Elgin, was a Professor of Philosophy at King's College, Aberdeen, and authored “The Right of Property in Land.”
Extended family branches include the Ogilvys of Inverquharity in Forfarshire, holding a Nova Scotia baronetcy now residing at Winton House, East Lothian.
The surname Ogilvie is predominantly found in Perth and Kinross, Dundee City, Angus, Stirlingshire, Edinburgh City, and the Lothians.
The ancestral lands of the Ogilvys of Airlie encompass Glenisla, Glenprosen, and Glenclova in Angus. Airlie Castle near Kirriemuir was their main stronghold from 1430 until replaced by a mansion house in 1763. Cortachy Castle, north of Kirriemuir, has been an Ogilvy residence since the 17th century. Forter Castle in Glenshee, initially built by the clan, was destroyed by fire in the 17th century but restored in the 1990s, now serving as a venue for weddings and conferences.
Winton House in East Lothian, originally Winton Castle built in the 12th century, came into the Ogilvy family through marriage with the Hamilton-Nisbett family in 1888. Findlater Castle, featured on this website was once an Ogilvy stronghold.