The abolition of heritable jurisdictions in the 18th century marked a significant drop in the practical power of barons. This change came in the aftermath of the Jacobite Risings, especially the 1745 rebellion, following which the English government sought to reduce the semi-autonomous powers of the Scottish aristocracy and integrate Scotland more fully in to the centralized English state. The Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 removed barons and other nobles of their judicial powers, transferring them to regal courts. Although this did not abolish the barony itself, it effectively reduced the baron's role compared to that of a symbolic landowner, without any legal power around his tenants. The social prestige of the title remained, but its features were curtailed. In the 19th and 20th generations, many baronial estates were sold, broken up, or repurposed, reflecting broader improvements in land use, economics, and society.
Nonetheless, the institution of the barony never completely disappeared. Even after losing appropriate jurisdiction, Scottish barons kept their games and heraldic rights. The 20th century saw a renewed interest in these brands, specially as icons of heritage, lineage, and identity. This fascination coincided with a broader revival of Scottish social delight and nationalism, ultimately causing increased paperwork and Baronage in to the annals of baronies. In 2000, the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Behave produced the last conclusion to feudal landholding in Scotland, successfully ending the bond between baronial brands and land ownership. But, the Act preserved the dignity of the barony being an incorporeal heritable property—primarily, a legal concept without associated land, but nevertheless ready to be ordered, sold, and inherited. This excellent condition doesn't have parallel elsewhere in the UK and makes Scottish baronies unique from peerages or manorial brands in England and Wales.
The extended living of Scottish baronial brands in the 21st century has developed debate. Some see them as anachronistic symbols of feudal privilege, while others regard them as important hyperlinks to Scotland's old identity. Today, the title of baron may be purchased through inheritance or legal transfer, and whilst it no longer holds political or legitimate energy, it retains ceremonial and symbolic significance. Slots of baronial brands may petition the Master Lyon for acceptance and a give of arms, and may possibly use traditional variations such as "Baron of Placename" or "The Much Honoured." These designations, while relaxed, are respectable using circles and frequently used in genealogical and old contexts. Some modern barons have actually dedicated to rebuilding their baronial estates, using their brands as part of initiatives to market history tourism, regional progress, or historic education.
The heritage of the Scottish baronage can also be preserved through the historical record. Numerous guides, charters, genealogies, and appropriate papers testify to the complexity and continuity of the baronial tradition. Performs like Friend Robert Douglas's The Baronage of Scotland (1798) offered detail by detail genealogies and histories of baronial individuals, and remain important methods for scholars and descendants alike. Contemporary historians and legal scholars continue steadily to examine the implications of the barony, not merely as a legitimate institution but also as a social and cultural phenomenon. The baronage reflects the layered history of Scotland it self: its old tribal and group programs, th