Sir Patrick Vans of Barnbarroch (1529 – 22 July 1597), or Patrick Vaus, was a Scottish judge and diplomat. Early life Vans was the second son of Sir John Vans of Barnbarroch and his wife, Janet MacCulloch, only child of Simon MacCulloch of Myreton, Keeper of Linlithgow Palace. He was born at Barnbarroch, near Wigtown. Patrick studied Divinity, and became rector of Wigtown. In 1568 he succeeded to the family estates on the death of his elder brother, and on 1 January 1576 he was appointed an ordinary lord of session on the spiritual side with the title of Lord Barnbarroch. He was knighted in 1583. On 21 January 1587 he was admitted a member of the privy council. Mission to Denmark In May 1587 he was sent with Peter Young and a retinue of 44 gentlemen and servants, as ambassadors to Denmark, to discuss the Orkney Islands and arrange for a marriage between James VI and Elizabeth, the elder sister of Anne, Princess of Denmark. James VI sent a Latin letter to Frederick II of Denmark recommending his ambassadors and hoping to receive a written answer. The ambassadors hired John Gardiner's ship, the Lion of Leith. Barnbarroch wrote a journal of this mission, mentioning his arrival at Elsinore on 8 June 1587 and stay with Richard Wedderburn. The next day he was met by the Captain of Kronborg and the Toll Master of the Sound, "Phalrik Boyall". The king, Frederick II of Denmark was at Antvorskov, and sent Gert Rantzau to welcome them. When they reached Antvorskov, with a wagon train provided by the king, David Myrtone, a relation of the Laird of Cambo in Fife, was sent ahead to the Chancellor Niels Kaas because he could speak German. Kaas told them that Frederick II was ill with toothache, and they spoke to Manderup Parsberg and Henrik Below, saying that only had commission to speak with the king. Barnbarroch's narrative breaks off before he describes his audience with Frederick, and a letter from Frederick to James VI suggests they were not given a formal audience at this time. Richard Douglas heard in August 1587 that the ambassadors had returned, and Elizabeth was promised to Archduke Mathias (she married Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg). The King's marriage plans were to be discussed at Falkland Palace in September 1587. When the ships conveying Anne of Denmark to Scotland in October 1589