THERE HAS been much debate in the Camperdown household surrounding

Lady Jean Fforde's decision to sell off her earldom of Arran. Old

Camperdown, as one can imagine, is appalled, although fully sympathetic

with the financial pressures poor Jean has had to cope with following

her mother's death in 1957. For my part, I've been trying to reassure

the old boy that whoever buys the title is most unlikely to be offered a

seat in the House of Lords.

Camperdown, nonetheless, has got it into his head the title will be

snapped up instantly by either the Americans or Japanese. Matters were

only made worse by Fiona, our daughter, who suggested he write to

John-Paul Getty Jr about it. The old boy is currently locked up in his

study with a bottle of the Macallan.

Lady Jean, a daughter of the 6th Duke of Montrose, inherited her Isle

of Arran estates and Brodick Castle, from her mother, daughter of the

12th Duke of Hamilton (whose sister, incidentally, was married to the

Prince of Monaco).

The Hamilton dukedom, which could only pass to a male heir, was

inherited on the death of the 12th Duke by a cousin, the current Duke of

Hamilton's grandfather. Beset by death duties, Lady Jean made over

Brodick Castle to the National Trust for Scotland.

In the meantime, the 7th Duke of Montrose, Lady Jean's brother, who

inherited the Montrose estates in 1954, had taken off to Rhodesia, or

Zimbabwe, as it is now called, to farm, to serve in the Federal

Government of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and to become a significant

influence in that country's unilateral declaration of independence

period. He returned to Scotland only shortly before his death two years

ago.

Goodness, genealogy can be complicated, but isn't it fascinating!

Of course, there are three earldoms of Arran. The Duke of Hamilton

still retains the 1389 one within his various titles; there is also the

1762 Arran earldom which originates from Ireland, and belongs to the

Gore family who live in Hertfordshire. The earldom up for offer is a

territorial title dating from 1467 connected with the ownership of the

ruined Lochranza Castle and 1000 acres of land in the north of the Isle

of Arran.

Much to Camperdown's amazement, the Letters Patent apparently make

allowance for the earldom being flogged off. Lady Jean has never used

the title, and Charlie, her son, who farms the remaining Arran estates,

indicates he is not contemplating marriage to produce a legitimate heir

in the foreseeable future.

On a novel note, Fiona, who has now returned to Glasgow to embark upon

her third year at Strathclyde University, has forwarded a mysterious

invitation for me to attend a Festival of Queens in Ardrossan civic

centre today.

My first instinct was to dismiss this as one of Fiona's silly little

jokes, especially when she informed me there were no fewer than fourteen

queens in Cunninghame, and did I know them personally?

Curiosity, however, has prompted a telephone call to my usual sources,

and I've now discovered that far from being an assembly of misplaced

European royalty, this is a get-together of local gala princesses

organised by a chap called Willie Freckleton.

Dawkins, our chauffeur, and Mrs Dalrymple, our housekeeper, are taking

tomorrow off to attend the Grampian Motorcycle Convention at Alford in

Aberdeenshire. Dawkins is apparently hoping to take part in the moped

marathon.

Do you know, I had simply no idea Dawkins was interested in

motorbikes! It was only when Fiona and I came across him practising his

yoga in one of the garages, dressed from head to foot in leather, that I

realised something was going on. He seems terribly proud of his new

uniform, although I can't help thinking he looks so much smarter in our

Camperdown estate colours.

Fiona, I might add, hardly improved the situation by telling him he

looked just like Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator. Well, of

course, that was it. Off he went with a grin splitting his face from ear

to ear murmuring: ''I'll be back!''

Alas, I suppose one can't be too hard on him. So many of one's

friends, not to mention Camperdown in his thirties, have been through

the motorbike phase. The Earl of Haddington, Michael Maxwell Stuart from

Lamington, the late Bobby McIntyre from Sorn, and the late Alex Haldane

of Glenagles immediately spring to mind.

Annabel Younger, who lives at Gifford, has sent me an invitation to a

Scottish musical evening entitled Whisky and Water, being held on Sunday

October 2 in The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, in the presence of the Duchess

of York. This is to commemorate the tragic deaths in Split last year of

Nan Owen and Matthew Stogden, and the injuries suffered by Mike

Mackenzie, all three of them relief workers with Scottish European Aid.

The organising secretary is Henrietta Fergusson, the late Lord

Balantrae's energetic niece, and tickets to include supper, at #40 each,

are available from the Queen's Hall Box Office.