Robert Gordon of Straloch was a Scottish cartographer, noted as a poet, mathematician, antiquary, and geographer, and for his collection of music for the lute.
Background
The younger son of Sir John Gordon of Pitlurg, Knt, (died 1600) by his spouse Isabel, daughter of William Forbes, 7th Lord Forbes, Robert Gordon was educated at the Marischal College, University of Aberdeen, of which he was the first graduate, and afterwards at the University of Paris.
Education
University of Paris; University of Aberdeen.
Career
Sometime after 1608 he acquired the estate of Straloch, north of Aberdeen. The original manuscript of Robert"s collection of lute music, known as the Straloch Manuscript, is lost, but transcriptions survive. His book, which included a tune for Greysteil was titled, "Ane playing booke for the Lute, wherein are contained many currents and other musical things, Musica mentis medicina moestae, At Aberdeen, collected by Robert Gordon, February 1627."
He died in 1661, and was interred in the family burial place at New Machar on 6 September.
A portrait of him, by Jameson, the Scottish van Dyck, hangs in the great hall of Marischal College.