Ludovic "Sandy" Gustavus Arbuthnot, later 16th Lord Clanroyden is a fictional heroic character who appears in various books by John Buchan in the Richard Hannay

Richard Hannay

Major-General Sir Richard Hannay, KCB, OBE, DSO, Legion of Honour, is a fictional secret agent created by Scottish novelist John Buchan. In his autobiography, Memory Hold-the-Door, Buchan suggests that the character is based, in part, on Edmund Ironside, from Edinburgh, a spy during the Second Boer...

 series. These books include Greenmantle

Greenmantle

Greenmantle is the second of five novels by John Buchan featuring the character of Richard Hannay, first published in 1916 by Hodder & Stoughton, London...

, The Three Hostages

The Three Hostages

The Three Hostages is the fourth of five Richard Hannay novels by Scottish author John Buchan, first published in 1924 by Hodder & Stoughton, London....

, The Courts of the Morning

The Courts of the Morning

The Courts of the Morning is a 1929 adventure novel by John Buchan, featuring his character Sandy Arbuthnot. The prologue is narrated by Richard Hannay, so the novel is sometimes included in Buchan's Hannay series...

, and The Island of Sheep

The Island of Sheep

The Island of Sheep is a novel by John Buchan. It is part of the series featuring Richard Hannay and Sandy Arbuthnot.-Plot summary:...

, but not the first in the series, The Thirty-Nine Steps

The Thirty-nine Steps

The Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure novel by the Scottish author John Buchan. It first appeared as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine in August and September 1915 before being published in book form in October that year by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh...

. He also appears in The League of Heroes by Xavier Mauméjean

Xavier Mauméjean

Xavier Mauméjean is a French writer born in 1963. He teaches philosophy at a college in Valenciennes, Northern France.-Books in French:* Les Mémoires de l'Homme-Eléphant, Le Masque * Gotham, Le Masque...

. His particular expertise is in adopting disguises which completely take in Hannay, the "friend [he] knows best in the world".

From the data within Buchan's novels, it is possible to deduce that Arbuthnot was born 1882, as the second son of Edward ("Billy") Cospatrick Arbuthnot, 15th Baron Clanroyden (educated Harrow). Educated Eton and New College, Oxford where he gained a Third at Greats. Captain in the Tweeddale Yeomanry, later promoted to Colonel. Served as honorary attaché at various embassies. Worked for the Reform Club

Reform Club

The Reform Club is a gentlemen's club on the south side of Pall Mall, in central London. Originally for men only, it changed to include the admission of women in 1981. In 2011 the subscription for membership of the Reform Club as a full UK member is £1,344.00, with a one-off entrance fee of £875.00...

 1899. Married Barbara. Settles at an idyllic estate called Laverlaw, near Ettrick

Ettrick, Scotland

Ettrick is a small village and civil parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, located around south-west of the town of Selkirk.-Local area:...

 in the Borders.

Arbuthnot was based on Hon. Colonel Sir Aubrey Herbert

Aubrey Herbert

Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert was a British diplomat, traveller and intelligence officer associated with Albanian independence. Twice he was offered the throne of Albania...

 (1880–1923; twice offered the throne of Albania

King of Albania

While the medieval Angevin Kingdom of Albania was a monarchy, it did not encompass the entirety of the modern state of Albania. The latter has been a kingdom on two occasions. The first time was after it was declared independent in 1912...

, 2nd son of 4th Earl of Carnarvon), but later also reflected Lawrence of Arabia.