Hugh Arbuthnott was born in 1780, the son of John, 7th Viscount of Arbuthnott. His mother was Isabella Grahame. He was the younger brother of the 8th Viscount. He entered the army as an ensign in the 79th Cameron Highlanders in May 1796. He served in the Holland campaign in 1799, the bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807 and the expedition to Sweden in 1808. He fought throughout the Peninsula War, receiving a gold medal for Busaco and a silver medal with two clasps for Corunna and Fuentes d’Onor.
He was promoted to major general on 22 July 1830 and lieutenant general on 23 nov 1841. He was appointed Colonel of the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment on 4 April 1843 and transferred to the 79th Cameron Highlanders on 14 Mar 1862. He was knighted in the Order of the Bath and was also a politician, MP for Kincardineshire from 1826 to 1865. He was never married, and died on 11 June 1868.
