List of people from Edinburgh

This list contains famous or notable people who were either born, residents, or otherwise closely associated with the City of Edinburgh, Scotland.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Architecture

• James Adam (1732–1794), architect, son of William Adam
• John Adam (1721–1792), architect, eldest son of William Adam
• Robert Adam, architect of Charlotte Square and other notable buildings, son of William Adam
• William Adam, architect of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, and father of James, John, and Robert Adam
• Sir Robert Rowand Anderson (1834–1921), architect whose works include the Scottish National Portrait Gallery
• Isobel Hogg Kerr Beattie (1900–1970)
• Alexander Black (c. 1790–1858), architect, who acted as Superintendent of Works for George Heriot’s School
• Hippolyte Blanc (1844–1917), architect
• Sir William Bruce (c. 1630–1710), designer of Holyrood Palace
• David Bryce, architect
• William Burn, architect
• Edward Calvert, domestic architect
• Stewart Henbest Capper (1859–1925), architect of Ramsay Gardens
• John Alexander Carfrae (1868–1947)
• John Chesser (1819–1892), architect largely based in Edinburgh
• David Cousin (1809–1878), architect, landscape architect and planner, Edinburgh’s City Superintendent of Works
• James Craig, designer of Edinburgh New Town
• Francis William Deas (1862–1951)
• Alexander Edward (1651–1708), Episcopalian clergyman, draughtsman, architect and landscape designer
• Archibald Elliot (1760–1823), works including the Regent Bridge, the Waterloo Hotel and Calton Prison
• Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie (1883–1952), architect of the National Library of Scotland
• James Leslie Findlay (1868–1952), son of John Ritchie Findlay
• Malcolm Fraser (born 1959), architect of the Scottish Poetry Library
• Andrew Frazer (died 1792), soldier and engineer, architect of St Andrew's Church, George Street, Edinburgh
• Sir James Gowans (1821–1890), maverick architect and builder
• James Gillespie Graham (1776–1855), architect
• Thomas Hamilton (1784–1858), architect
• Robert Hurd (1905–1963)
• George Meikle Kemp (1795–1844), carpenter, draughtsman, and architect, best known as the designer of the Scott Monument
• John Lessels (1809–1883), architect
• Ian Lindsay (1906–1966)
• Robert Lorimer (1864–1929), architect, whose works include the Scottish National War Memorial
• David MacGibbon (1831–1902), architect and president of the Edinburgh Architectural Association
• Ebenezer James MacRae (1881–1951), City Architect
• Sir Robert Matthew (1906–1975), a leading proponent of modernism
• Sir Frank Charles Mears (1880–1953)
• Sydney Mitchell (1856–1930)
• John Mylne, mason, particularly on George Heriot's Hospital
• Robert Mylne (1733–1811), architect and civil engineer, designer of Blackfriars Bridge in London
• John Paterson (died 1832), architect who assisted with the Old College, University of Edinburgh
• Robert Hamilton Paterson (1843–1911), partner in the architectural practice of Hamilton-Paterson and Rhind
• John Dick Peddie (1824–1891), architect and politician
• John More Dick Peddie (1853–1921), architect
• Frederick Thomas Pilkington (1832–1898), architect in the High Victorian Gothic style
• William Henry Playfair (1790–1857), architect of the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy
• Benjamin Marcus Priteca (1889–1971), theatre architect
• Robert Reid (1774–1856), King's architect and surveyor for Scotland
• David Rhind (1808–1883)
• Thomas Duncan Rhind (1871–1927)
• Witold Rybczynski (born 1943), architect
• James Smith (c. 1645–1731), architect
• Sir Basil Spence (1907–1976), architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral
• Thomas S Tait (1882–1954), prominent Modernist architect
• Sir Andrew Thomas Taylor (1850–1937), architect and Conservative Party municipal councillor
• William Wallace (died 1631), mason, particularly on George Heriot's Hospital
• William Weir, architect
• Patrick Wilson (1798–1871), school architect
• Robert Wilson (1834–1907), school architect

Arts

• Robert Adamson (1821–1848), photographer
• Bay City Rollers, pop group from the 1970s
• Andrew Bell (1726–1809), engraver and printer, co-founder of Encyclopædia Britannica
• Jemima Blackburn, (1823–1909), painter and illustrator
• William Bonnar (1800–1863), painter of portraits, and history and genre paintings
• Ewen Bremner, actor
• Rory Bremner, impressionist and comedian
• Sandy Brown (1929–1975), jazz clarinetist
• Mary Cameron (1865–1921), artist who painted mainly Spanish scenes
• Nicky Campbell, radio and television presenter
• Ian Charleson, actor
• Sean Connery, actor
• Ronnie Corbett, comedian and actor, best known as one of The Two Ronnies
• William Crozier (1893–1930), landscape painter
• Finlay Jefferson Currie (1878–1968), actor of stage, screen, and television
• Mark Daly (1887–1957), stage and film actor
• Richard Demarco (born 1930), artist and promoter of the visual and performing arts
• Daniel Dow (1732–1783), fiddler, composer, teacher and concert organiser
• Al Fairweather, jazz musician
• Bridget Forsyth, actress, best known for playing Thelma in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads
• Kirsty Gallacher, television presenter
• Henry Snell Gamley (1865–1928), sculptor specialising in war memorials and sculpture on tombs
• Andrew Geddes (1783–1844), portrait painter and etcher
• William Geissler (1894–1963), artist known for his watercolours of the natural world
• Sir William George Gillies (1898–1973), landscape and still life painter
• Isabella Glyn (1823–1889),Victorian-era actress
• Hannah Gordon, actress
• Nathaniel Gow (1763–1831), musician and composer, fourth son of Niel Gow
• Stan Greig (1930–2012), jazz pianist, drummer, and bandleader
• Amelia Robertson Hill (1820–1904), sculptor; wife of David Octavius Hill
• David Octavius Hill (1802–1870), painter and photography pioneer at Hill & Adamson; husband of Amelia Robertson Hill
• George Jamesone (or Jameson) (c. 1587–1644), Scotland's first eminent portrait-painter
• Alexander Johnston (1815–1891), painter, known for genre and history paintings
• Eugene Kelly, member of The Vaselines
• Grant Kirkhope, composer
• Sir Harry Lauder, vaudeville singer, entertainer, and composer
• Robert Scott Lauder (1803–1869), artist and portrait painter
• John Leslie, television presenter
• William Home Lizars (1788–1859), painter and engraver
• Hew Lorimer (1907–1993), sculptor, son of Robert Lorimer
• John Henry Lorimer (1856–1936), portraitist and genre painter, brother of Robert Lorimer
• Dr. James Pittendrigh MacGillivray (1856–1938), sculptor
• Robert Mackintosh (c. 1745–1807), 'Red Rob', composer and violinist
• Sir William MacTaggart FRSE RSA (1903–1981), painter known for his landscapes
• Magnus Magnusson, television presenter and author
• Shirley Manson, lead singer for the band Garbage
• John Maxwell (1905–1962), painter of landscapes and imaginative subjects
• Horatio McCulloch (1806–1867), landscape painter
• Greg McHugh, actor
• Frances McKee, member of The Vaselines; namesake of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's daughter
• William Miller, 19th-century engraver and watercolourist
• Jacob More (1740–1793), landscape painter
• Alexander Nasmyth, landscape and portrait painter
• Nina Nesbitt, singer and songwriter
• Eduardo Paolozzi, sculptor and artist, born in Leith
• Sir Robin Philipson (1916–1992), Lancashire-born painter; influential within the Scottish art scene for over three decades
• Pilot, pop group from the 1970s
• Gail Porter, television presenter
• Finley Quaye, singer-songwriter
• John Rae, jazz musician and composer
• Henry Raeburn, portrait artist
• Allan Ramsay (1713–1784), painter
• Anne Redpath OBE (1895–1967), artist whose vivid domestic still lifes are among her best-known works
• Ian Richardson, actor
• David Roberts (1796–1864), painter and lithographer
• Alexander Runciman (1736–1785), painter of historical and mythological subjects
• John Runciman (1744–1768/9), painter known for Biblical and literary scenes, brother of Alexander
• Alastair Sim, character actor
• Robert Archibald Smith (1780–1829), composer, musical conductor in St. George's Church, Edinburgh
• Sir John Robert Steell RSA (1804–1891), sculptor, works include the statue of Sir Walter Scott at the Scott Monument
• Alexander Stoddart (born 1959), neoclassical sculptor
• Ken Stott, film and television actor, born in Edinburgh
• George Watson (1767–1837), painter
• John Muir Wood (1805–1892), musician, piano manufacturer, music publisher and early amateur photographer
• John Michael Wright (1617–1694), portrait painter in the Baroque style

Authors

• Patrick Abercromby (1656 – c.1716), physician and antiquarian
• Alexander Adam (1741–1809), teacher and writer on classical literature
• Thomas Aird (1802–1876), poet and editor of the Edinburgh Weekly Journal
• Archibald Alison (1757–1839), episcopalian priest and essayist
• Sir Archibald Alison, 1st Baronet (1792–1867), advocate and historian
• Adam Anderson (c. 1692–1765), economist
• Alan Orr Anderson (1879–1958), historian and compiler
• James Anderson (1662–1728), antiquary and historian
• James Robertson Anderson (1811–1895), stage actor and dramatist
• Lin Anderson, crime novelist and screenwriter
• Hugo Arnot of Balcormo (1749–1786), advocate, writer and campaigner, who published his History of Edinburgh in 1779
• Kate Atkinson (born 1951), novelist
• William Edmondstoune Aytoun (1813–1865), poet
• R M Ballantyne (1825–1894), author of The Coral Island and other books for boys
• Iain Banks (1954–2013), novelist
• J.M. Barrie (1860–1937), author and dramatist
• Meg Bateman (born 1959), academic, poet and short story writer
• John Stuart Blackie (1809–1895), scholar and man of letters
• William Garden Blaikie (1820–1899), divine, writer, biographer, and temperance reformer
• Alan Bold (1943–1998), poet, biographer, and journalist
• Alexander Bower (fl. 1804–1830), biographer
• George Mackay Brown (1921–1996), poet and storyteller
• John Brown (1784–1858), minister and theologian
• John Brown (1810–1882), essayist
• Peter Hume Brown (1849–1918), historian; first professor of Scottish history at Edinburgh University
• George Buchanan (1506–1582), historian and humanist scholar
• Gilbert Burnet (1643–1715), theologian and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury
• John Burnet (1863–1928), classicist
• John Hill Burton (1809–1881), advocate, historian and economist
• Angus Calder (1942–2008), academic, writer, historian, poet and literary editor
• Jenni Calder (née Daiches) (born 1941), literary historian
• Peter Ritchie Calder, Baron Ritchie-Calder of Balmashanner (1906–1982), socialist author, journalist and academic
• Henry Calderwood (1830–1897), minister of religion and philosopher
• Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881), philosopher, satirical writer, essayist, historian and rector of the University of Edinburgh
• Thomas Chalmers (1780–1847), minister of religion, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of the Church of Scotland and of the Free Church of Scotland
• Robert Chambers (1802–1871), publisher, geologist, evolutionary thinker, author and journal editor
• The Rev. Professor Alexander Campbell Cheyne (1924–2006), scholar of church history
• Vere Gordon Childe (1892–1957), Australian archaeologist and philologist, academic at the University of Edinburgh
• Henry Thomas, Lord Cockburn (1779–1854), author of Memorials of His Time
• Stewart Conn (born 1936), poet and Edinburgh Makar 2002 - 2005
• Anne Ross Cousin (1824–1906), poet, musician and songwriter
• Helen Cruickshank (1886–1975), poet and suffragette
• Anne Jane Cupples (1839–1896), writer and populariser of science
• David Daiches (1912–2005), literary historian and literary critic, scholar and writer
• David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes (1726–1792), advocate, judge and historian
• Sir John Graham Dalyell (1775–1851), antiquary and naturalist
• Christine De Luca (born 1947), poet, writing in English and Shetland dialect
• Tom Devine (born 1945), historian of Scotland
• William Croft Dickinson (1897–1963), English historian, Sir William Fraser Professor of Scottish History and Palaeography at the University of Edinburgh
• Gordon Donaldson (1913–1993), historian
• Gavin Douglas (1474–1522), medieval poet
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), creator of Sherlock Holmes; born in the city's New Town
• William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585–1649), poet
• William Dunbar (c. 1460 – c. 1520), medieval poet
• Dorothy Dunnett (1923–2001), historical novelist
• John Fardell (born 1967), cartoonist, author and illustrator
• Adam Ferguson (1723–1816), philosopher and historian
• Robert Fergusson (1750–1774), poet
• James Frederick Ferrier (1808–1864), metaphysical writer, introduced the term "epistemology"
• Susan Edmonstone Ferrier (1782–1854), novelist
• Ian Hamilton Finlay, CBE (1925–2006), poet, writer, artist and gardener
• John Fleming (1785–1857), minister of religion, naturalist, zoologist and geologist
• William Fowler (c. 1560–1612), poet, writer, courtier, and translator
• Sir William Fraser (1816–1898), solicitor and expert in ancient Scottish history, palaeography, and genealogy
• Iain Gale (born 1959), journalist and author of military novels
• Robert Garioch (1909–1981), poet
• Lesley Glaister (born 1956), novelist and playwright; Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh
• The Rev. Dr Robert Gordon (1786–1853), minister of religion and writer
• Kenneth Grahame (1859–1932), author of The Wind in the Willows
• James Grant (1822–1887), novelist and historian, works include Old And New Edinburgh
• Professor Sir Alexander Gray (1882–1968), civil servant, economist, academic, translator, writer and poet
• James Gregory (1753–1821), physician and classicist
• John Gregory (1724–1773), physician, medical writer and moralist
• Andrew Greig (born 1951), novelist, poet and writer on climbing
• David Greig (born 1969), playwright and theatre director
• Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet (1788–1856), metaphysician
• James Hannay (1827–1873), novelist, journalist and diplomat
• William Hardie (1862–1916), classical scholar, Professor of Humanity at Edinburgh University from 1895
• George Campbell Hay (1915–1984), multi-lingual poet and translator
• Hamish Henderson (1919–2002); poet, songwriter, soldier and intellectual, a catalyst for the folk revival in Scotland
• Robert Henry (1718–1790), minister of religion and historian
• Alexander Taylor Innes (1833–1912), lawyer, writer, biographer and church historian
• Cosmo Nelson Innes (1798–1874), advocate, judge, historian and antiquary
• Alan Jackson (born 1938), poet
• Kathleen Jamie (born 1962), poet
• John Jamieson (1759–1838), minister of religion, lexicographer, philologist and antiquary
• Robert Alan Jamieson (born 1958), Shetlandic poet and novelist who grew up on the crofting community of Sandness
• Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey (1773–1850), judge and literary critic, editor of the Edinburgh Review
• Arthur Berriedale Keith (1879–1944), constitutional lawyer, scholar of Sanskrit, and Indologist; Regius Professor of Sanskrit and Lecturer in Constitutional History in the University of Edinburgh
• Sir Ludovic Kennedy (1919–2009), journalist, broadcaster and author
• Philip Kerr (born 1956), novelist
• Sir Thomas Dick Lauder (1784–1848), academic, novelist, writer
• John Parker Lawson (died 1852), clergyman of the Episcopal Church of Scotland and historian
• Frances Leviston (born 1982), poet
• Frederic Lindsay (1933–2013), crime writer
• John Logan (1748–1788), minister of religion, dramatist and historian
• Michael Lynch (born 1946), historian
• Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800–1859), poet and Edinburgh MP
• Norman MacCaig (1910–1996), poet
• Alexander R. MacEwen (1851–1916), writer, minister of religion, professor and Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland
• Duncan Ban MacIntyre (1724–1812), Gaelic poet and a constable of Edinburgh City Guard
• Angus Mackay (born 1939, historian and Hispanist, specialising in Later Medieval Spain
• Compton Mackenzie (1883–1972), author
• Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh (1636/1638–1691), known as Bluidy Mackenzie; lawyer, Lord Advocate, essayist and legal writer
• Henry Mackenzie (1745–1831), lawyer, novelist and miscellaneous writer
• Donald MacKinnon (1839–1914), Celtic scholar, the first elected Professor of Celtic languages, literature, history and antiquities at Edinburgh University
• Sorley MacLean (1911–1996), Gaelic poet
• Hector Macneill (1746–1818), poet and songwriter
• Hector Macpherson (1851–1924), prolific writer and journalist, writing on history, biography, politics, religion, and other subjects
• David MacRitchie (1851–1925), folklorist and antiquarian
• Magnus Magnusson (1929–2007), television presenter and author
• James Maidment (1793–1879), antiquary and collector, advocate in disputed peerage cases
• Bruce Marshall (1899–1987), author of Father Malachy's Miracle
• Sir Theodore Martin (1816–1909), poet, biographer, and translator
• James David Marwick (1826–1908), lawyer, historian and town clerk
• David Masson (1822–1907), literary critic and historian
• David I. Masson (1915–2007), science-fiction writer and librarian
• Brian McCabe (born 1951), poet
• William Topaz McGonagall (1825–1902), renowned as one of the worst poets in the English language; born in Edinburgh
• Thomas M'Crie (1772–1835), Scottish historian, writer, and minister of religion
• Candia McWilliam (born 1955), novelist
• Colin McWilliam (1928–1989), architecture academic and author
• John Mein (fl. 18th century), newspaper and almanac publisher, bookseller
• Hugh Miller (1802–1856), writer, geologist, folklorist, and evangelical Christian
• Naomi Mitchison (1897–1999), novelist and poet
• Rosalind Mitchison (1919–2002), historian of Scotland, specialising in social history
• Alexander Montgomerie (c. 1550–1598), Jacobean courtier and makar
• Helen and Morna Mulgray (born 1939), identical twins, authors of a series of crime novels
• Robert Mylne (c. 1643–1747), writer of pasquils (lampoons), antiquary and engraver
• Macvey Napier (1776–1847), solicitor, legal scholar, and editor of Encyclopædia Britannica
• Mark Napier (1798–1879), lawyer, biographer and historical author
• Charles Neaves, Lord Neaves (1800–1876), advocate, judge, theologian and writer
• Patrick Neill (1776–1851), printer and horticulturalist, known as a naturalist
• John Oswald (c. 1760–1793), philosopher, writer, poet, social critic and revolutionary
• Aileen Paterson (born 1934), children's author, works include Maisie Comes to Morningside
• William Paul (born 1955), author
• John Playfair (1748–1819), scientist and professor
• Andrew Seth Pringle-Pattison (1856–1931), philosopher
• Finley Quaye (born 1974), singer-songwriter
• Allan Ramsay (1686–1758), poet and father of the painter of the same name
• Edward Bannerman Ramsay (1793–1872), clergyman of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Dean of Edinburgh, and author of Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character
• Ian Rankin (born 1960), author of the Inspector Rebus series of crime thrillers, attended the University of Edinburgh
• Tessa Ransford, poet and founder of the Scottish Poetry Library
• William Robertson (1721–1793), historian, minister of religion, and Principal of the University of Edinburgh
• Dilys Rose (born 1954), poet
• J. K. Rowling (born 1965), Harry Potter author, wrote her first book in Edinburgh coffee-shop, Nicholson's
• Thomas Ruddiman (1674–1757), classical scholar and printer
• Christopher Rush (born 1944), writer and teacher of literature in Edinburgh
• Alexander Scott (c. 1520–1582/1583), poet
• Tom Scott (1918–1995), poet
• Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), novelist, born in Edinburgh
• James Seth (1860–1925), philosopher
• Sara Sheridan (born 1968), novelist, predominately writing historical fiction
• William Henry Oliphant Smeaton (1856–1914), writer, journalist, editor, historian and educator
• Alexander Smith (1829–1867), poet, one of the so-called Spasmodic School
• Alexander McCall Smith (born 1948), author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of books and many children's novels; Professor of Medical Law at Edinburgh University
• Sydney Smith (1771–1845), an English wit, writer and Anglican cleric, first editor of the Edinburgh Review
• Sidney Goodsir Smith (1915–1975), poet
• Christopher Smout (1933), academic, historian, author and Historiographer Royal in Scotland
• Muriel Spark (1918–2006), novelist, author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
• Adam Stark (1784–1867), antiquary
• Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894), novelist, wrote fondly of the city before moving to Samoa
• Dugald Stewart (1753–1828), Scottish Enlightenment philosopher and mathematician
• Matthew Stewart (c. 1717–19 – 1785), mathematician and minister of religion
• Annie Shepherd Swan (1859–1943), journalist, novelist and story writer
• James Thomson (1700–1748), poet
• Thomas Thomson (1768–1852), advocate, antiquarian and archivist
• Ruthven Todd (1914–1978), poet, artist and novelist; writer of children's books
• Nigel Tranter (1909–2000), historical novelist and historian
• William Barclay Turnbull (1811–1863), antiquary
• Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee (1747–1813), advocate, judge, writer and historian; friend of Robert Burns
• Patrick Fraser Tytler (1791–1849), Scottish historian
• William H C Watson (1931–2005), author, playwright and newspaper editor
• William J. Watson (1865–1948), toponymist, first scholar to place the study of Scottish place names on a firm linguistic basis
• William Montgomery Watt (1909–2006), historian, Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh
• Irvine Welsh (born 1958), novelist, playwright and short story writer, known for his novelTrainspotting
• Robert Willis (1799–1878), physician, librarian, and medical historian
• John Wilson of Ellerey (1785–1854), advocate, literary critic and author
• John Philip Wood (died 1838), antiquary and biographer
• Andrew John Young (1885–1971), poet and clergyman

Medicine, science and engineering

• Alexander Aitken (1895–1967), mathematician
• William Alison (1790–1859), physician, social reformer and philanthropist
• Sir Andrew Balfour (1630–1694), botanist and co-founder of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• John Barlow (veterinary scientist) (1815–1856), professor at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
• Alexander Graham Bell, telephone pioneer, born in Edinburgh
• Charles Bell, anatomist, surgeon, physiologist and natural theologian; born in Edinburgh
• Max Born (1882–1970), German-British physicist and mathematician
• Alexander Crum Brown FRSE FRS (1838–1922), organic chemist
• Eustace Chesser, psychiatrist
• Thomas Clouston (1840–1915), psychiatrist, Superintendent of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum
• Fergus I. M. Craik, cognitive psychologist, born in Edinburgh, and studied at the University of Edinburgh
• Sir James Crichton-Browne (1840–1938), leading psychiatrist and medical psychologist
• Charles Darwin, biologist, author of On the Origin of Species, studied in University of Edinburgh
• Andrew Duncan (1744–1828), physician and professor at Edinburgh University
• William Ronald Dodds Fairbairn (1889–1964), psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, central figure in the development of the object relations theory of psychoanalysis
• Sir William Tennant Gairdner (1824–1907), Professor of Medicine in the University of Glasgow
• James Gregory (1638–1675), mathematician and astronomer
• William Gregory (1803–1858), physician and chemist
• Peter Higgs, theoretical physicist, emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh
• John Hope (1725–1786), physician and botanist, first Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• James Hutton, geologist, born in Edinburgh
• Elsie Inglis, innovative doctor and suffragist, founder of maternity hospital for working-class women.
• Sophia Jex-Blake, leading campaigner for medical education for women
• Alexander Keith Johnston (1804–1871), geographer
• Alexander Keith Johnston (1844–1879), geographer and explorer
• James Kennedy (1797–1886), locomotive and marine engineer, born in Gilmerton
• Robert Knox, anatomist, purchaser of bodies from Burke and Hare
• Dr Thomas Latta (1796–1837), pioneer of the saline drip
• Arthur Pillans Laurie (1861–1949), chemist, pioneer of the scientific analysis of paintings
• Malcolm Laurie (1866–1932), zoologist
• James Lind (1716–1794), physician, pioneer of naval hygiene, developed the theory that citrus fruits cured scurvy
• Joseph Lister (1827–1912), pioneer of antiseptic surgery
• Jessie Macgregor (1863–1906), doctor, one of the first women to gain a medical degree from University of Edinburgh
• Agnes McLaren (1837–1913), doctor, missionary, first doctor to give medical assistance to women in India
• Colin Maclaurin (1698–1746), mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and algebra
• James Clerk Maxwell, physicist
• Alexander Monro primus (1697–1767), founder of Edinburgh Medical School
• Alexander Monro secundus (1733–1817), anatomist, physician and medical educator
• Alexander Monro tertius (1773–1859), surgeon, anatomist and medical educator
• Duncan Napier, Victorian botanist and medical herbalist
• John Napier, mathematician, mainly remembered for the invention of logarithms
• James Nasmyth, inventor of the steam hammer
• Stan Paterson (1924–2013), glaciologist
• Daniel Rutherford (1749–1819), physician, chemist and botanist, famous for the isolation of nitrogen in 1772
• Robert Sibbald (1641–1722), physician and antiquary, co-founder of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• James Young Simpson (1811–1870), obstetrician who conducted the first experimental use of chloroform for anaesthesia
• David Skae (1814–1873), physician who specialised in psychological medicine
• Mary Fairfax Somerville (1780–1872), science writer and polymath
• Charles Spalding, improver of the diving bell
• Peter Guthrie Tait (1831–1901), mathematical physicist
• D'Arcy Wentworth Thomson, zoologist, mathematician, author ofOn Growth and Form
• Professor Ian Wilmut, contributor to Dolly the Sheep project, the world's first cloned mammal
• Lesley Jane Yellowlees (born 1953), inorganic chemist and the first female president of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Military

• Sir James Abercrombie, 1st Baronet of Edinburgh (died 1724), British Army officer and politician
• Adam Archibald, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• William Bloomfield, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Walter Brodie, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• William Bruce, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• John Cook, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Arthur Cumming, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• James Davis, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• William Dick-Cunyngham, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Robert Digby-Jones, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• James Dundas, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Captain Douglas Ford (1918–1943), recipient of the George Cross
• Major John Alexander Fraser (1896–1943), recipient of the Military Cross and the George Cross
• James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612–1650), nobleman and general during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, executed in Edinburgh
• Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, born in Edinburgh
• Captain Alexander Mitchell ("Sandy") Hodge (1916–1997), recipient of the Empire Gallantry Medal, later exchanged for the George Cross
• William Hope, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• William Johnston, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Charles Kennedy, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Allan Ker, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Major Alexander Gordon Laing (1793–1826), soldier and explorer, first European to reach Timbuktu via the north/south route
• John MacKay, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• David McGregor, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• James McPhie, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary John O'Donnell (1968–2008), British Army bomb disposal expert, was awarded the George Medal twice
• John Porteous, captain of the city guard, lynched during the Porteous Riots of 1736
• Henry Ramage, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• William Reynolds, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Henry Ritchie, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• John Simpson, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Alexander Thompson, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• George Wilson, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Corporal Mark William Wright (1979–2006), recipient of the George Cross
• David Younger, recipient of the Victoria Cross

Royalty

• Charles X of France, in Holyrood Palace during his exile
• Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, King consort of Scotland
• Madeleine of Valois (1520–1537), first spouse of King James V of Scotland
• Saint Margaret of Scotland, wife of Malcolm Canmore
• Mary of Guise, regent of Scotland, and mother of Mary, Queen of Scots
• Mary, Queen of Scots, lived in Holyrood Palace
• Mynyddog Mwynfawr Brittonic ruler of the kingdom of Gododdin in the Hen Ogledd (in the reading of Y Gododdin accepted by most scholars), perhaps with his court at Din Eidyn

Scottish Enlightenment

• James Anderson of Hermiston (1739–1808), agronomist, lawyer, amateur scientist and economist
• Joseph Black (1728–1799), physicist and chemist, first to isolate carbon dioxide
• Hugh Blair (1718–1800), minister of religion, author
• James Boswell (1740–1795), lawyer, biographer of Samuel Johnson
• Thomas Brown (1778–1820), moral philosopher and philosopher of mind; joint holder of the Chair of Moral Philosophy at Edinburgh University
• James Burnett, Lord Monboddo (1714–1799), philosopher, judge, founder of modern comparative historical linguistics
• William Cleghorn (1718–1754), philosopher, holder of the Chair of Pneumatics and Moral Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh
• Sir John Clerk of Eldin (1728–1812), prolific artist, author of An Essay on Naval Tactics
• Alison Cockburn (1728–1812), poet, wit and socialite
• William Cullen (1710–1790), physician, chemist, early medical researcher and important professor at the Edinburgh Medical School
• Adam Ferguson (1723–1816), considered the founder of sociology
• Sir James Hall, 4th Baronet (1761–1832), geologist, geophysicist
• Henry Home, Lord Kames (1696–1782), philosopher, judge, historian
• David Hume (1711–1776), philosopher, historian, essayist
• James Hutton (1726–1797), founder of modern geology
• Sir John Leslie (1766–1832), mathematician, physicist, investigator of heat
• Thomas Muir of Huntershill (1765–1799), political reformer, leader of the Scottish "Friends of the People Society"
• John Playfair (1748–1819), mathematician, author of Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth
• William Robertson (1721–1793), one of the founders of modern historical research
• Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet (1754–1835), politician, writer, the first person to use the word "statistics" in the English language
• William Smellie (1740–1795), editor of the first edition of Encyclopædia Britannica
• Adam Smith (1723–1790), economist, whose The Wealth of Nations was one of the first modern treatises on economics
• Dugald Stewart (1753–1828), moral philosopher
• John Walker (1730–1803), professor of natural history

Sports

See also: Category:Sportspeople from Edinburgh

• Neil Alexander, football goalkeeper for Hearts
• Alex Arthur, professional super featherweight boxer
• Mark Beaumont, holds the Guinness World Record for "Fastest True Circumnavigation of the World by Bicycle"
• Christophe Berra, footballer for Wolves
• Ian Black (born 1985), footballer
• Stewart Bruce, cricketer
• Ken Buchanan, boxer former world lightweight champion
• Simon Danielli, rugby player
• George Farm, former Scotland, Blackpool and Queen of the South F.C. goalkeeper and Scottish Cup winning manager with Dunfermline Athletic
• Craig Gordon, football goalkeeper for Celtic and Scotland
• James Alexander Gordon, football results broadcaster, born in Edinburgh
• Gavin Hastings, former rugby captain, born in Edinburgh
• Scott Hastings, former rugby player and rugby commentator, born in Edinburgh
• Johnny Haynes, footballer who spent his retired years in Edinburgh
• John Horrocks (1816–1881), founder and innovator of modern European fly fishing
• Chris Hoy, track cyclist, Olympic Games gold and silver medal winner
• Iain Hume, footballer
• Andy Irvine, rugby internationalist
• Hugh Kelsey, international bridge player and author
• Alan MacDonald, international rugby union player
• Dave Mackay (born 1934), footballer
• Steven MacLean, footballer currently with St Johnstone
• Allan McGregor, football player
• Michael McIndoe, footballer
• Kenny Miller, footballer
• Garry O'Connor, ex-professional football player
• Chris Paterson, rugby player
• Don Revie, footballer and football manager
• Gordon Shedden, BTCC racing car driver, born in Edinburgh
• Graeme Souness, football manager
• Gordon Strachan, football manager
• Frederick Guthrie Tait (1870–1900), amateur golfer and soldier
• Lee Wallace, football player
• David Wilkie, MBE, Olympic Games and Commonwealth games champion swimmer

Miscellaneous

• Charles Umpherston Aitchison, Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab
• Sir Kenneth John Wilson Alexander (1922–2001), economist and university administrator
• Alexander Arbuthnot (died 1585), early printer
• Tony Blair (born 1953), British prime minister 1997–2007, born in Edinburgh
• James Braidwood (1800–1861), founder of the world's first municipal fire service in Edinburgh in 1824, and first director of the London Fire Engine Establishment
• Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778–1868), statesman, one of the founders of the Edinburgh Review, Lord Chancellor
• David Brown, the first recorded Jew in Edinburgh (1693)
• William Burke and William Hare, serial killers; sold the bodies of their victims to the medical college for dissection
• Duncan Cameron, inventor of the Waverley nib pen
• William Chambers (1800–1883), publisher and politician, brother of Robert Chambers
• Archibald Cleghorn (1835–1910), married into royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii
• Archibald Constable (1774–1827), publisher, bookseller and stationer, publisher of the Edinburgh Review
• Helen Crummy, community activist and principal founder of the Craigmillar Festival Society
• Elaine Davidson, holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Pierced Woman"
• Alexander Donaldson, publisher
• James Donaldson, publisher; founder of Donaldson's Hospital
• George Drummond, Lord Provost and major supporter of the New Town, Edinburgh
• Helen Duncan (1897–1956), medium, the last person imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act of 1735
• Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (1742–1811), Home Secretary and Tory politician
• John Ritchie Findlay (1824–1898), owner of The Scotsman newspaper; philanthropist, donated the Scottish National Portrait Gallery
• Lord Fountainhall (1646–1722), one of Scotland's leading jurists
• Jenny Geddes (c. 1600 – c. 1660), market trader, threw a stool at the Dean of Edinburgh in protest against the new prayer book
• Patrick Geddes (1854–1932), biologist, sociologist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner
• James Gillespie (1726–1797), snuff-maker and philanthropist
• Thomas Guthrie (1803–1873), divine and philanthropist, popular preachers, associated with temperance and Ragged Schools
• James Haldane (1768–1851), theologian and missionary
• Thomas Hardy (1747–1798), Minister of religion, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Professor of Eccesiastical History at Edinburgh University
• Alasdair George Hay, first and current Chief Fire Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• George Heriot, goldsmith and philanthropist
• Alexander Hunter (1729–1809), physician, writer and editor
• Sir John Ritchie Inch (1911–1993), police officer, Chief Constable of Edinburgh City Police
• Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston (1611–1663), judge, statesman,
• Sir Duncan Alexander Johnston (1847–1931), Royal Engineers officer, Director General of the Ordnance Survey, and first-class cricketer
• Robert Keith (1681–1757), Episcopal bishop and historian
• John Knox, Protestant Reformer, lived in Edinburgh, and the so-called John Knox's House is preserved in the High Street
• David Laing (1793–1878), antiquary and editor
• Simon Somerville Laurie (1829–1909), educator
• John Law (c. 1671–1729), economist, Controller General of Finances under King Louis XV of France
• James Lorimer (1818–1890), advocate and father of Robert and James Henry
• Flora Macaulay, editor of The Oban Times newspaper
• John Mackintosh (1929–1978), Scottish Labour Party politicianand Edinburgh University lecturer
• William McEwan (1827–1913), politician and brewer; funded the construction of the McEwan Hall at the University of Edinburgh
• Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813–1843), minister in the Church of Scotland from 1835 to 1843
• Priscilla Bright McLaren (1815–1906), abolitionist and suffragist, President of Edinburgh Women's Suffrage Society
• James McLevy (1796–1875), prominent detective, and author of popular crime mysteries
• Sir David Monro (1813–1877), New Zealand politician, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives (1861–1870)
• Angus Morrison QC (1822–1882), Mayor of Toronto (1876–78)
• Keith O'Brien, disgraced Cardinal
• James Pillans (1778–1864), classical scholar and educational reformer
• John Ritchie (1778–1870), co-founder and later sole owner of The Scotsman newspaper
• George Small (1782–1861), partner of the piano manufacturing firm of Muir, Wood and Company, magistrate and philanthropist
• Jane Smeal (1801–1888), Quaker, leading campaigner for abolition of slavery
• D. Alan Stevenson (1891–1971), philatelist and architect
• Jock Stewart (1918–1989), executioner
• John Guthrie Tait (1861–1945), educator and rugby internationalist
• Sir Charles Tupper, one of the Fathers of the Confederation who formed the Dominion of Canada in 1867; later the sixth Prime Minister of Canada; educated at the University of Edinburgh
• James Tytler (1745–1804), apothecary, editor of the second edition of Encyclopædia Britannica and the first person in Britain to fly (by ascending in a hot air balloon)
• Andrew Usher (1826–1898), whisky distiller and blender; gifted the Usher Hall to Edinburgh
• Eliza Wigham (1820–1899), abolitionist and women's rights campaigner
• John Witherspoon, only clergyman to sign the American Declaration of Independence; president of Princeton University, educated in Edinburgh

See also

• List of Scots