Notable alumni of The University of Edinburgh

Charles Darwin

scientific collector · 1809–1882

English naturalist and biologist (1809-1882)

Alexander Graham Bell

teacher of the deaf · 1847–1922

Canadian-American scientist inventor of telephone (1847–1922)

James Clerk Maxwell

theoretical physicist · 1831–1879

Scottish physicist (1831–1879)

David Hume

essayist · 1711–1776

Scottish philosopher, economist, and historian (1711-1776)

Robert Louis Stevenson

novelist · 1850–1894

Scottish novelist and poet (1850-1894)

Walter Scott

short story writer · 1771–1832

Scottish novelist, poet and playwright (1771–1832)

Gordon Brown

autobiographer · b. 1951

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2010

Thomas Carlyle

literary historian · 1795–1881

Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher (1795–1881)

Edward VII

art collector · 1841–1910

King of the United Kingdom from 1901 to 1910

J. M. Barrie

television writer · 1860–1937

Scottish writer and playwright (1860–1937)

Thomas Young

linguist · 1773–1829

English polymath (1773-1829)

Julius Nyerere

linguist · 1922–1999

Tanzanian politician and writer, first Prime Minister and President of Tanzania (1922–1999)

Edward Victor Appleton

university teacher · 1892–1965

English physicist (1892–1965)

Oliver Goldsmith

polygraph · 1728–1774

Anglo-Irish writer, poet, and physician (d. 1774)

Igor Yevgenyevich Tamm

theoretical physicist · 1895–1971

Soviet physicist (1895–1971)

Robert Edwards

physiologist · 1925–2013

English physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine and in-vitro fertilisation

Hastings Banda

diplomat · 1890–1997

First president of Malawi

May-Britt Moser

neuroscientist · b. 1963

Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist

Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston

politician · 1784–1865

British statesman and prime minister (1784–1865)

Benjamin Constant

diarist · 1767–1830

French-Swiss politician, writer on politics and religion (1767-1830)

Yun Po-sun

journalist · 1897–1990

2nd President of South Korea (1897-1990)

William John Macquorn Rankine

civil engineer · 1820–1872

civil engineer (1820–1872)

Richard Owen

paleoanthropologist · 1804–1892

English biologist and paleontologist (1804–1892)

Robbie Coltrane

film actor · 1950–2022

Scottish actor (1950–2022)

James Hutton

industrialist · 1726–1797

Scottish geologist, physician, chemical manufacturer, naturalist, and experimental agriculturalist; (1726-1797)

Joseph Black

university teacher · 1728–1799

Scottish physicist and chemist (1728–1799)

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell

politician · 1792–1878

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1846–1852 and 1865–1866 (1792–1878)

David Brewster

civil engineer · 1781–1868

Scottish astronomer and mathematician (1781–1868)

James Dewar

chemist · 1842–1923

Scottish chemist and physicist (1842–1923)

Syed Ahmed Khan

scholar · 1817–1898

Indian Muslim reformer and social activist (1817–1898)

Randy Schekman

biochemist · b. 1948

Nobel prize winning American cell biologist

James Mill

linguist · 1773–1836

Scottish historian, economist, political theorist and philosopher (1773-1836)

George M. Dallas

diplomat · 1792–1864

vice president of the United States from 1845 to 1849 (1792–1864)

Mungo Park

traveler · 1771–1806

Scottish naturalist and explorer of the African continent

Erasmus Darwin

entomologist · 1731–1802

English physician (1731-1802)

Fraser Stoddart

university teacher · 1942–2024

Scottish chemist and Nobel Laureate in 2016 for the design and synthesis of molecular machines

James Mirrlees

university teacher · 1936–2018

Scottish economist (1936-2018)

Samuel Smiles

journalist · 1812–1904

Scottish author (1812-1904)

Thomas Bayes

statistician · 1702–1761

British mathematician and Presbyterian minister (1702-1761)

Peter C. Doherty

immunologist · b. 1940

Australian immunologist

Sal Khan

YouTuber · b. 1976

American educator (born 1976)

John Boyd Dunlop

inventor · 1840–1921

Scottish inventor

James Boswell

diarist · 1740–1795

Scottish lawyer, diarist and author (1740–1795)

James Macpherson

translator · 1736–1796

British writer, poet, translator and politician (1736-1796)

Daniel Rutherford

botanist · 1749–1819

British physician, chemist, botanist and physicist (1749–1819)

Richard Henderson

molecular biologist · b. 1945

Nobel prize winning British biochemist (born 1945)

Robert Adam

independent publisher · 1728–1792

British neoclassical architect (1728–1792)

Thomas Graham

university teacher · 1805–1869

British chemist (1805–1869)

Edward Abbey

activist · 1927–1989

American author and essayist (1927-1989)

John Toland

philosopher · 1670–1722

Irish philosopher (1670-1722)

A. S. Neill

non-fiction writer · 1883–1973

Scottish educator and theorist (1883-1973)

Robin Cook

politician · 1946–2005

British Labour Party politician (1946-2005)

Ian Rankin

crime fiction writer · b. 1960

Scottish writer

Adam Ferguson

essayist · 1723–1816

Scottish philosopher and historian; (1723-1816)

Ash Carter

university teacher · 1954–2022

25th United States Secretary of Defense

Robert Stephenson

railway engineer · 1803–1859

British railway engineer and locomotive designer (1803-1859)

Chris Hoy

autobiographer · b. 1976

British racing driver and former track cyclist

Charles Bell

neuroscientist · 1774–1842

Scottish physician, painter and theologian (1774–1842)

Benjamin Rush

university teacher · 1746–1813

American physician, educator, and author (1746-1813)

Amber Rudd

investment banker · b. 1963

British politician (born 1963)

John William Polidori

physician · 1795–1821

English writer and physician (1795–1821)

Elton Mayo

sociologist · 1880–1949

Australian psychologist and sociologist

Bruce Chatwin

traveler · 1949–1989

English novelist (1940–1989)

James Thomson

poet · 1700–1748

Scottish writer (1700–1748)

James Bruce

linguist · 1730–1794

Scottish explorer and botanist (1730–1794)

Kurt Koffka

university teacher · 1886–1941

German psychologist (1886–1941)

Mako Komuro

aristocrat · b. 1991

Japanese princess; eldest child of Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan, and Kiko, Crown Princess of Japan

British chemist (1761-1815)

Jason Kouchak

singer-songwriter · b. 1969

pianist/composer

Kevin McKidd

television actor · b. 1973

Scottish actor

English zoologist and marine biologist (1790/1–1836)

William Speirs Bruce

scientific collector · 1867–1921

Scottish marine biologist and polar explorer (1867-1921)

William Walker

filibuster · 1824–1860

American filibuster, physician, lawyer, journalist and mercenary (1824-1860)

Pippa Middleton

columnist · b. 1983

British socialite, author and columnist; sister of Catherine, Princess of Wales

James Lind

surgeon · 1716–1794

Scottish physician and pioneer of naval hygiene

William Prout

chemist · 1785–1850

British chemist (1785-1850)

John Swinney

politician · b. 1964

Scottish politician (born 1964)

Margareta of Romania

diplomat · b. 1949

Head of the House of Romania (2017 - present)

James Barry

military physician · 1789–1865

19th century British surgeon known for medical reforms and personal life

Eric Liddell

rugby union player · 1902–1945

Scottish athlete, sprinter, Olympian, Protestant missionary (1902-1945)

Peter Guthrie Tait

mathematician · 1831–1901

Scottish mathematical physicist (1831–1901)

James Edward Smith

scientific collector · 1759–1828

English botanist, founder of the Linnean Society of London (1759–1828)

Robert Indiana

printmaker · 1928–2018

American artist (1928–2018)

Piers Sellers

ecologist · 1955–2016

British-born American astronaut

Andrew Smith

explorer · 1797–1872

Scottish surgeon, explorer, ethnologist and zoologist (1797–1872)

Alexander McCall Smith

novelist · b. 1948

British writer

Harini Amarasuriya

academic · b. 1970

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

Flora Nwapa

novelist · 1931–1993

Nigerian writer

Thomas Andrews

chemist · 1813–1885

Irish chemist and physicist (1813–1885)

Thomas Addison

physician · 1793–1860

19th-century British physician and scientist

Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy

head of government · 1885–1961

Dutch politician (1885-1961)

Max Richter

film score composer · b. 1966

British composer (born 1966)

Philippa Gregory

novelist · b. 1954

English novelist

Ibn Warraq

journalist · b. 1946

Pakistani writer

Thomas Hodgkin

abolitionist · 1798–1866

British pathologist and social reformer (1798-1866)

Joseph Bell

pathologist · 1837–1911

Scottish physician (1837–1911)

James Braid

hypnotherapist · 1795–1860

Scottish surgeon, hypnotist, and hypnotherapist (1795–1860)

William Henry

chemist · 1774–1836

British chemist who formulated the law on the solubility of gases into liquids

Angus Macfadyen

television actor · b. 1963

Scottish actor

Robert Stirling

cleric · 1790–1878

clergyman, engineer, inventor of the Stirling engine (1790–1878)

James David Forbes

glaciologist · 1809–1868

Scottish physicist and glaciologist (1809–1868)

William Roxburgh

scientific collector · 1759–1815

British surgeon and botanist (1751–1815)

Robert Kerr

translator · 1757–1813

Scottish scientific writer and translator (1757–1813)

William Cullen

university teacher · 1710–1790

Scottish physician, chemist and agriculturalist; (1710-1790)

Scottish physician, traveller and naturalist (1762-1829)

David Bruce

tropical physician · 1855–1931

Australian-British physician, pathologist and microbiologist (1855–1931)

John Richardson

scientific collector · 1787–1865

Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer (1787–1865)

John Scott Haldane

philosopher · 1860–1936

British physiologist (1860–1936)

Keith O'Brien

Catholic bishop · 1938–2018

British catholic cardinal (1938–2018)

Hassan Ali Khayre

politician · b. 1968

Prime Minister of Somalia

Tom Chaplin

recording artist · b. 1979

British musician

William Withering

scientific collector · 1741–1799

English scientist (1741-1799)

Sophia Jex-Blake

suffragist · 1840–1912

British physician and suffragist (1840–1912)

John Shepherd-Barron

inventor · 1925–2010

British inventor (1925-2010)

Robert Knox

anatomist · 1791–1862

Scottish physician, anatomist, zoologist and ethnologist (1791-1862)

James Wilson

jurist · 1742–1798

Justice on the US Supreme Court (1742-1798)

W. V. D. Hodge

mathematician · 1903–1975

British mathematician (1903–1975)

Sophie Cookson

actor · b. 1990

British actress

Dugald Stewart

philosopher · 1753–1828

Scottish philosopher and mathematician

Zhong Nanshan

pulmonologist · b. 1936

Chinese pulmonologist

Unity Dow

novelist · b. 1959

Motswana politician, Lawyer and Activist

Ami Boué

botanist · 1794–1881

Austrian geologist, physician and botanist (1794-1881)

Arabic scholar and writer

Archibald Geikie

volcanologist · 1835–1924

British geologist (1835–1924)

John Leslie

linguist · 1766–1832

British mathematician and physicist (1766–1832)

Chang Taek-sang

journalist · 1893–1969

Prime Minister of South Korea (1893-1969)

William Cameron Menzies

producer · 1896–1957

American film production designer and art director (1896-1957)

Peter Mark Roget

lexicographer · 1779–1869

English physician and philologist (1779-1869)

William Robertson Smith

biblical scholar · 1846–1894

Scottish orientalist and minister of the Free Church of Scotland (1846–1894)

Stella Rimington

autobiographer · 1935–2025

British director of MI5 (1935–2025)

American-Estonian economist (1907-1959)

Richard Bright

physician · 1789–1858

British pathologist (1789–1858)

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto

diplomat · 1751–1814

Scottish politician (1751–1814)

Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux

scholar · 1778–1868

English barrister, politician, and Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (1778-1868)

Malcolm Rifkind

politician · b. 1946

British politician (born 1946)

Benjamin Smith Barton

botanical collector · 1766–1815

American physician, professor, and botanist (1766-1815)

Princess Tsuguko of Takamado

aristocrat · b. 1986

Japanese princess; eldest daughter of Norihito, Prince Takamado, and Hisako, Princess Takamado

Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet

philosopher of mind · 1788–1856

Scottish metaphysician (1788-1856)

Geneticist, author (1899–1994)

Scottish mathematician

Sir William Jardine, 7th Baronet

ornithologist · 1800–1874

Scottish ornithologist and naturalist (1800–1874)

Robert Edmond Grant

anatomist · 1793–1874

British anatomist and zoologist (1793-1874)

Vice President of Syria

John Murray

botanist · 1841–1914

Scottish oceanographer, marine biologist and limnologist (1841-1914)

Dusa McDuff

university teacher · b. 1945

English American mathematician

Hugh Blair

philosopher · 1718–1800

British philosopher

British physicist (1932–2016)

Charles Piazzi Smyth

anthropologist · 1817–1900

British astronomer (1817-1900)

Alexander Gordon Laing

explorer · 1793–1826

Scottish explorer

William Muir

philologist · 1819–1905

Scottish Orientalist and colonial administrator (1819–1905)

Thomas Brisbane

politician · 1773–1860

British Army general

Edward Forbes

malacologist · 1815–1854

Manx naturalist (1815–1854)

John Crawfurd

linguist · 1783–1868

British historian

James Steuart

economist · 1712–1780

Scottish economist

Douglas Alexander

politician · b. 1967

British politician (born 1967)

Ralph Abercromby

military officer · 1734–1801

Scottish soldier and politician; (1734-1801)

Prafulla Chandra Ray

autobiographer · 1861–1944

Bengali chemist, educationist, poet, historian, industrialist and philanthropist (1861–1944)

D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson

classical scholar · 1860–1948

Scottish biologist, mathematician, and classics scholar (*1860 – †1948)

Greg Wise

film actor · b. 1966

English actor

Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince Father

military personnel · 1892–1929

Thai prince (1892–1929)

Jimmy Finlayson

film actor · 1887–1953

Scottish actor (1887–1953)

Robert Darwin

physician · 1766–1848

English medical doctor; father of naturalist Charles Darwin

Michael Balint

psychoanalyst · 1896–1970

Hungarian psychoanalyst (1896–1970)

John Claudius Loudon

non-fiction writer · 1782–1843

Scottish botanist (1782-1843)

John Anderson

explorer · 1833–1900

Scottish anatomist and zoologist who worked in India as the curator of the Indian Museum (1833–1900)

British writer (1787-1869)

Maria Bamford

film actor · b. 1970

American actress

Clifford Edmund Bosworth

university teacher · 1928–2015

British historian and orientalist (1928–2015)

Alfred Ewing

civil engineer · 1855–1935

British physicist and engineer (1855-1935)

William Robertson

historian · 1721–1793

British historian, minister of religion, and principal of the University of Edinburgh (1721-1793)

English philosopher of religion and theologian (1922-2012)

Reginald Johnston

sinologist · 1874–1938

British diplomat and academic (1874–1938)

Suad Amiry

engineer · b. 1951

Palestinian author and architect

Scottish actor (1949-1990)

Charles Blagden

physical chemist · 1748–1820

British physician and scientist (1748–1820)

Gemma Gibbons

judoka · b. 1987

British judoka

Arthur St. Clair

military officer · 1737–1818

American soldier and politician (1737-1818)

Archibald Menzies

scientific collector · 1754–1842

Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist (1754-1842)

Charles Wyville Thomson

biologist · 1830–1882

Scottish marine zoologist (1830-1882)

British actress

Balfour Stewart

meteorologist · 1828–1887

British scientist (1828–1887)

Edward Albert Sharpey-Schäfer

physiologist · 1850–1935

English physiologist (1850–1935)

Emily Blackwell

obstetrician · 1826–1910

English-born American physician

Hugh Falconer

paleoanthropologist · 1808–1865

Scottish scientist (1808–1865)

Robert Jameson

mineralogist · 1774–1854

British scientist; (1774-1854)

Henry Home, Lord Kames

philosopher · 1696–1782

Scottish philosopher, judge and agricultural improver (1696–1782)

Richard Anthony Salisbury

scientific collector · 1761–1829

British botanist and gardener (1761-1829)

Tessa Jowell

politician · 1947–2018

British politician (1947–2018)

Talal Asad

anthropologist · b. 1932

anthropologist at the CUNY Graduate Center

Scottish orientalist (1895–1971)

Margot Käßmann

Protestant theologian · b. 1958

German theologist and writer

Katherine Grainger

rower · b. 1975

British rower

Samuel George Morton

anthropologist · 1799–1851

American physician and naturalist (1799–1851)

James MacMillan

musicologist · b. 1959

Scottish composer and conductor (born 1959)

David Mundell

politician · b. 1962

Scottish Conservative politician and government minister (born 1962)

John Sibthorp

scientific collector · 1758–1796

English botanist (1758-1796)

John Hutton Balfour

bryologist · 1808–1884

British botanist (1808-1884)

Thomas Caverhill Jerdon

zoological collector · 1811–1872

British zoologist, botanist, and physician (1811-1872)

Thomas Chalmers

philosopher · 1780–1847

Scottish mathematician and leader of the Free Church of Scotlandl (1780-1847)

Mark Akenside

physician writer · 1721–1770

English poet and physician