List of Scottish scientists


List of Scottish engineers and scientists is a list of Scottish scientists born in Scotland or associated with Scotland.
ScientistLifespanPrimary fieldNote-
Thomas Addison1881–1949physiciannephrology pioneer-
James Edward Tierney Aitchison1836–1898botanistsurgeon; collected plants in India and Afghanistan-
John Aitken1839–1919meteorologist, physicist and marine engineerinventor of the koniscope, -
William Aiton1731–1793botanist-
Adam Anderson1783–1846physicistcontributor to Edinburgh Encyclopædia and Encyclopædia Britannica-
Alexander Anderson158?–162?mathematicianc. 1582– c. 1620-
John Anderson1833–1900zoologist and anatomistcurator of the Indian Museum-
Thomas Anderson1832–1870botanistdirector of the Calcutta Botanic Garden-
William Arthur1894–1979mathematician-
John Logie Baird1888–1946engineertelevision inventor-
William Baird1803–1872zoologistauthor of The Natural History of the British Entomostraca-
Thomas Barker1838–1907mathematicianprofessor of pure mathematics at Owens College-
Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour1853–1922botanistSherardian Professor of Botany-
John Hutton Balfour1808–1884botanist-
John Barclay1758–1826anatomistdonor of the Barclay Collection at Surgeons' Hall, Edinburgh-
Robert Barclayd.1973statisticianscholar of Orkney-
James Bassantinfl 16th centuryastronomer and mathematicianauthor of Astronomique Discours, Lyons, 1557-
Alexander Graham Bell1847–1922engineer, scientisttelephone inventor-
Eric Temple Bell1883–1960mathematicianscience fiction writer-
Robert J. T. Bell1876–1963mathematicianProfessor of Pure and Applied Mathematics at the University of Otago-
James W. Black1924–2010physicianNobel Prize for Medicine, 1988-
Joseph Black1728–1799scientistcarbon dioxide discoverer-
Robert Blair1748–1828astronomerinventor of the aplanatic lens-
John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr1880–1971nutritionistNobel Peace Prize winner-
David Brewster1781–1868scientistRoyal Scottish Society of Arts founder-
Thomas Brisbane1773–1860astronomer-
Robert Brown1773–1858botanistBrownian Motion discoverer-
David Bruce1855–1931pathologist, microbiologist-
Alexander Buchan1829–1907meteorologist, oceanographer and botanistestablished the weather map as the basis of weather forecasting-
Elaine Bullard1915–2011self-taught botanistOfficial Recorder of Orkney for the Botanical Society of the British Isles for 46 years-
Malcolm H. Chisholm, 1945-2015Organometallic chemistContributed to the synthesis and structural chemistry of transition metal complexes-
Phillip Clancey1917–2001ornithologistornithology pioneer-
John Craig1663–1731mathematicianNewton colleague-
James Croll1821–1890scientistastronomical theory of 19th-century climate change, leading proponent-
Alexander Crum Brown1838–1922chemistorganic chemistry-
William Cullen1710–1790physician, chemist-
David Cuthbertson1900–1989physician, biochemist, medical researcher, nutritionistleading authority on metabolism-
James Dewar1842–1923physicistlow temperature, vacuum flask inventor-
George Dickie1812–1882botanistspecialist in algae-
Alexander Dickson1836–1887botanistmorphological botanist-
David Drysdale1877–1946mathematician-
James Alfred Ewing1855–1935physicist, engineerdiscoverer of hysteresis-
William Fairbairn1789–1874engineerstructural
Hugh Falconer1808–1865palaeontologist-
James Ferguson1710–1776astronomer, instrument maker-
Alexander Fleming1881–1955microbiologistNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1945-
Williamina Fleming1857–1911astronomercataloguing of stars contributor, discoverer of the Horsehead Nebula-
John Flett1869–1947geologistDirector of the Geological Survey of Great Britain-
James David Forbes1809–1868physicist, geologist-
Professor George Forbes1849–1936scientistelectrical engineering, hydro-electric power generation-
Robert Fortune1813–1880botanist-
John Fraser1750–1811botanist, plant collector-
Patrick Geddes1854–1932biologisturban theorist-
Alexander Gibson1800–1867botanistworked on forest conservation in India-
Sir David Gill1843–1914astronomerastrophotography pioneer-
John Goodsir1814–1867anatomistpioneer in the study of the cell-
Isabella Gordon1901–1978zoologistcarcinologist-
Robert Graham1786–1845botanistRegius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh-
Thomas Graham1805–1869chemistdiscovered dialysis-
Robert Edmond Grant1793–1874biologistSwiney lecturer in geology to the British Museum-
Marion Cameron Gray1902–1979mathematiciandiscovered Gray graph-
David Gregory1659–1708astronomer, mathematicianSavilian Professor of Astronomy-
Duncan Farquharson Gregory1813–1844mathematicianalso worked in chemistry and physics-
James Gregory1638–1675astronomer, mathematicianGregorian reflecting telescope, first described, Robert Hooke later built-
James Gregory1832–1899mineralogistbelieved claims of diamond discoveries in South Africa were false-
William Gregory1803–1858mineralogist-
James Hall1761–1832geologist-
M R Henderson1899–1982botanist-
Thomas Henderson1798–1844astronomerAlpha Centauri, first measured distance-
John Hope1725–1786botanistbotanist who had genus Hopea named after him-
Thomas Charles Hope1766–1844chemist and physiciandiscoverer of strontium-
James Hutton1726–1797geologistscientific basis of geology established-
Ninian Imrie of Denmuirc.1750–1820geologistProvided the first geological description of the Rock of Gibraltar-
Robert T. A. Innes1861–1933astronomerProxima Centauri discoverer-
James Ivory1765–1842mathematician-
William Jardine1800–1874naturalist-
George Johnston1800–1874naturalistalso physician and mayor of Berwick-
Henry Halcro Johnston1856–1939botanistalso army surgeon and rugby union international-
John Keill1671–1721mathematician and astronomerdisciple and defender of Isaac Newton, Savilian Professor of Astronomy-
John Kerr1824–1907physicistelectro-optics pioneer, discovery of Kerr effect-
Norman Boyd Kinnear1882–1957zoologist-
Cargill Gilston Knott1856–1922physicist and mathematicianpioneer in seismology-
Johann von Lamont1805–1879astronomerUranus and Saturn moon orbits calculated-
Arthur Pillans Laurie1861–1949chemistpioneered scientific analysis of paint-
Malcolm Laurie1866–1932zoologistspecialist in arachnids, especially scorpions-
John Leslie1766–1832mathematician, physicistheat research-
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, OM, FRS1827–1912surgeonAntiseptic surgery introduced, eponymous Listerine-
William Locheadc.1753–1815botanistsurgeon, curator of the St Vincent Botanical Garden-
Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet1797–1875geologist, lawyergeology pioneer,, foremost of his day-
John Macadam1827–1865botanist-
William McNab1844–1889botanistphysician-
William MacGillivray1796–1852naturalist-
Sheila Scott Macintyre1910–1960mathematician-
Colin Maclaurin1698–1746mathematicianMaclaurin series developer-
Anna MacGillivray Macleod1917–2004botanist, biochemist,professor of brewing-
John James Rickard Macleod1876–1935biochemist, physiologistNobel Prize laureate, 1923-
John George Macleod1915–2006physicianauthor of medical books-
William Maclure1760–1843geologist-
Alan MacMasters1865–1927scientist, inventor, industrialistinventor of the toaster-
Sheina Marshall FRSE, FRS, OBE1896–1977marine biologist-
Francis Masson1741–180?botanist1741– c. 1805-
James Clerk Maxwell1831–1879scientistthermodynamics, electromagnetics theorist-
Anderson Gray McKendrick1876–1943physician, epidemiologistpioneer of the use of mathematical methods in epidemiology-
John Gray McKendrick1841–1926physiologist-
Archibald Menzies1754–1852botanist, explorer-
Philip Miller1691–1771botanist-
Roderick Murchison1792–1871geologistSilurian period first described, investigated-
Alexander Murray1810–1884geologist-
James Napier1810–1884chemistantiquarian-
John Napier1550–1617mathematicianlogarithms-
William Robert Ogilvie-Grant1863–1924ornithologist-
James Bell Pettigrew1834–1908naturalistCroonian Lecturer; authority on animal locomotion-
Sir William Ramsay1852–1916chemistNobel Prize in Chemistry, 1904-
William John Macquorn Rankine1820–1872engineer, physicistRankine thermodynamic scale, proposer-
John Richardson1787–1865naturalist-
Muriel Robertson1883–1973protozoologist and bacteriologistMade key discoveries of the life cycle of trypanosomes-
William Roxburgh1759–1815botanist-
John Scott Russell1808–1882civil engineer, naval architectsolitons-
Daniel Rutherford1749–1819chemistnitrogen element discoverer-
John Scouler1804–1871naturalistEnicurus scouleri is named after Scouler-
Sir James Young Simpson1811–1870physiciananaesthetic chloroform discoverer, midwifery pioneer-
Andrew Smith1797–1872zoologist-
Charles Piazzi Smyth1819–1900astronomerAstronomer Royal for Scotland-
Robert Angus Smith1817–1884chemistenvironmental chemistry, acid rain, discoverer-
Mary Somerville1780–1872mathematician, astronomer-
Matthew Stewart1717–1785mathematician-
James Stirling1692–1770mathematician-
Robert Stirling1790–1878engineer, clergymaninventor of the Stirling engine-
John Struthers1823–1899anatomist-
Peter Guthrie Tait1831–1901mathematical physicistproposer of the Tait conjectures in Knot theory-
Thomas Telford1757–1834engineer, architectcivil engineer, canal builder-
D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson1860–1948biologist and mathematicianauthor of On Growth and Form-
Charles Wyville Thomson1830–1882marine zoologistchief scientist on the Challenger expedition-
Thomas Thomson1817–1878botanistSuperintendent of the Honourable East India Company's Botanic Garden at Calcutta-
William Thomson, Lord Kelvin1824–1907mathematician, physicist, engineer-
James Wallace1684–1724botanistparticipated in the Darien Scheme, and obtained plants from that area-
James Watt1736–1819mathematician, engineersteam engine improvements contributed key stage in the Industrial Revolution-
Robert Watson-Watt1892–1973scientistradar inventor-
Joseph Wedderburn1882–1948mathematician-
Thomas Webster1773–1844geologistgeologist who had websterite, now normally called aluminite, named after him-
Alexander Wilson1714–1786astronomer and meteorologistalso surgeon, type-founder, and mathematician; the first scientist to record the use of kites in meteorological investigations-
Alexander Wilson1766–1813ornithologistornithology pioneer pre-Audubon -
Charles Wilson1869–1959physicistcloud chamber inventor-
James Wilson1795–1856zoologistcontributor to Encyclopædia Britannica-
Patrick Wilson1743–1811astronomertype-founder, mathematician and meteorologist-
Thomas Wright1809–1884geologistalso physician-
William Wright1735–1819botanistbotanist who had genera Wrightia and Wrightea named after him-
James 'Paraffin' Young1811–1883chemist--
Dr William Alexander Young1889–1928physician, yellow fever researcherposthumously awarded the Médaille des Epidémies du ministère de la France d'outre-mer, 1929-
Udny Yule1871–1951statisticianYule–Simon distribution-
Andrew White Young1891–1968mathematicianresearched temperature seiches in Loch Earn and presented on Mathieu function and Lagrange polynomials-