Innes was a barony consisting of all the land along the shore between the River Lossie and the River Spey in Morayshire. A charter for these lands was given to Berowald, described as Flandrensis, by Malcolm IV in 1154. Berowald’s grandson, Sir Walter, took Innes as his name and the charter was confirmed by Alexander II in 1226.

In the 1300s, Sir Robert, 9th of that ilk, married and added to the family estate the thane of Aberchirder. Their son, Sir Walter, ruled the family for fifty-six years till his death in 1454.

Numerous branches had, by this time, successfully reached out all over Northern Scotland, and between the years 1493 and 1533, Alexander, 18th of Innes, had amassed six charters to a considerable amount of land. He was murdered by the 3rd Laird of Invermarkie over a romantic dispute and a terrible feud between the two families ensued.