News: Tilda Swinton's Illustrious Ancestry

Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton is currently one of Hollywood's hottest properties. She starred as the White Witch in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (2005), and in 2008 won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as a ruthless corporate lawyer sparring with George Clooney in 'Michael Clayton' (2007). Many of her roles have been in independent and avant-garde films, such as 'Caravaggio' and other works by the director Derek Jarman. She has created a body of exceptional and thought-provoking performances.

Her career has been eventful, but she is by no means the first in her family to lead a celebrated and noteworthy life. Among Tilda's ancestors are some extraordinary people who shaped the history of Scotland, whose stories are every bit as interesting as her own. She comes from an old Borders family, long distinguished for military and public service, and connected with many landed families. Her family tree includes, a renegade preacher, an Archbishop of Canterbury, a wine merchant, a Lord Lyon, an East India Company soldier, a singer, two professors of botany and one of the greatest minds of the Scottish Enlightenment. Visit to find out more about some of these fascinating characters, and how Tilda is directly descended from the most famous Scot of all.

For more information about the Famous Scots exhibition, please visit the ScotlandsPeople hub website.