Letters of horning
Letters of horning (Scottish law) – a simple explanation
- What it was: An official document issued by civil authorities that publicly declared a person a debtor-outlaw for not paying debts.
- Why the horn: In old Scotland, three blasts of a horn announced that someone had been put to the horn. The person denounced was then called an outlaw.
- How it started: Debt imprisonment existed only in some cases. Debtors could swear an oath to pay, but if they broke the oath, they could face church discipline. The civil authorities could help the church by denouncing the debtor as an outlaw, imprisoning them, and seizing their goods.
- The process: After outlawing someone, a warrant told a messenger-at-arms to demand payment or performance. This system was known as letters of horning.
- Reforms: The Debtors (Scotland) Act 1838 simplified the process, and enforcement moved to a modern form called diligence (a writ of execution).
- End of the practice: The issuance of letters of horning and related processes stopped after the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987.
- Registry: The Register of Hornings is kept by Registers of Scotland.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:38 (CET).