James Hope-Johnstone, 3rd Earl of Hopetoun

James Hope - Johnstone, 3rd Earl of Hopetoun, 1742-1781 also known by the courtesy title Viscount Aithrie, (* August 23, 1741, † May 29, 1816 ) was a Scottish peer.

Hope Johnstone was the son of John Hope, 2nd Earl of Hopetoun and his first wife Anne, a daughter of James Ogilvy, 5th Earl of Findlater, and inherited after his father's death in 1781 the earldom. He was 1794-1816 Lord Lieutenant of Linlithgowshire. Furthermore, he had from 1784 to 1790, and again from 1794 to 1796 a seat in the House of Lords as an elected Scottish peer (Representative Peer ). 1809 Baron Hopetoun, of Hopetoun was created in the County of Linlithgow, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, with the right to inherit the title to all male descendants of his father. This gave Hope - Johnstone a permanent seat in the House of Lords.

1792 succeeded his great-uncle Hopetoun de jure, the Earl of Annandale and Hart Fell to inherit, even though he never successfully claimed the title. He also inherited Johnstones family possessions and took his family name as a nickname to Hope.

Hope - Johnstone 1766 married Lady Elizabeth, daughter of George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk. The couple had five daughters. Lady Elizabeth died in 1793. Her husband survived for over twenty years and died in May 1816 aged 74 years. The earldom inherited his half-brother John. His claim to the title of Earl of Annandale and Hart Fell passed to his eldest daughter Anne, as this could also be inherited through the female line.