The 9th Earl died in July 1514 and it was not until 3 October 1514 that his sister Elizabeth was served as heir to him. The service of inquest was sat in Inverness and was opposed by her younger brother, Alexander Sutherland who had sent his "brother" Mr Robert Munro as his procurator to object to the proceedings. Sir Robert Gordon assumed Alexander Sutherland to be the rightful heir. Among the claims made by Alexander Sutherland's procurator was that Alexander Sutherland himself could not safely come to Inverness to oppose the service on account of the tyranny of the Earl of Huntly. Both Adam Gordon and the Earl of Huntly then gave assurance that Alexander Sutherland should have safe conduct to Inverness. However, he still does not appear to have attended. The only claim Mr Robert Munro made was that of the alleged existence of an entail by royal charter of the lands and earldom of Sutherland, but he was not able to produce this charter and so the jury accordingly proceeded with the service upon which a crown precept followed and Elizabeth Sutherland was given the lands on 30 June 1515, after which she and her husband were immediately known as the Earl and Countess of Sutherland. Adam Gordon styled himself as Earl of Sutherland in a letter in favour of Sir Robert McRaith as the chaplain of the church lands of St Andrew in Golspie.
