1823 in Scotland

Centuries:	17th ; 18th ; 19th ; 20th ; 21st ;
Decades:	1800s ; 1810s ; 1820s ; 1830s ; 1840s ;
See also:	List of years in Scotland ; Timeline of Scottish history ; 1823 in: The UK • Wales • Elsewhere

Last updated August 18, 2025

Incumbents

Law officers

Judiciary

Events

14 January – the Plinian Society is inaugurated for students of natural history at the University of Edinburgh under the presidency of John Baird.^[1]
7 February – the Bannatyne Club is inaugurated by Sir Walter Scott and others as a text publication society to print by subscription rare texts relating to the history, literature and traditions of Scotland.
17 June – Charles Macintosh patents the waterproof material later used to make Mackintosh coats.^[2]
18 July
- Excise Act reduces duties on the distillation of whisky, encouraging its commercial production.
- Act for building additional Places of Worship in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland passed.
November – the Highland Society’s Veterinary School, predecessor of the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, organises its first regular classes in Edinburgh under William Dick.^[3]
James Smith of Deanston introduces an improved method of land drainage on slopes.^[4]
First Hebrew congregation in Glasgow in modern times established.
Rev. Dr. Henry Duncan completes reconstruction of the Northumbrian Ruthwell Cross.

Births

13 March – William Mackinnon, shipowner (died 1893 in London)
31 March – William Hart, painter of the Hudson River School (died 1894 in the United States)
1 May – Jemima Blackburn, née Wedderburn, watercolourist and illustrator, wife of Hugh Blackburn (died 1909)
17 May – Henry Eckford, horticulturist (died 1905 in Shropshire)
28 May – Henry MacDonald, soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (died 1893)
2 July – Hugh Blackburn, mathematician (died 1909)
11 July – John Stuart McCaig of Muckairn and Soroba, creator of McCaig's Tower, Oban (died 1902)
26 September – Robert Boog Watson, malacologist and Free Church minister (died 1910)
28 October – William Simpson, war artist (died 1899 in London)
Thomas Bantock, businessman (died 1895 in Wolverhampton)

Deaths

28 March – Ilay Campbell, judge (born 1734)
29 March – William Taylor, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Principal of the University of Glasgow (born 1744)
16 June – Archibald Elliot, architect (born 1761)
8 July – Sir Henry Raeburn, portrait painter (born 1756)^[5]
29 September – George Beattie, poet (born 1786)
George Finlayson, naturalist (born 1790; died at sea)

The arts

February – a monument to poet Robert Burns (died 1796), designed by Thomas Hamilton, is opened in Alloway.^[6]
Thomas Campbell's poem The Last Man is published.
John Galt's novels The Entail, or The Lairds of Grippy, The Gathering of the West, Ringan Gilhaize, or The Covenanters and The Spaewife: a Tale of the Scottish Chronicles are published.
Sir Walter Scott's novels Peveril of the Peak , Quentin Durward and St. Ronan's Well are published anonymously.
William Tennant's poetic drama Cardinal Beaton is published.^[7]
John Wilson's novel The Trials of Margaret Lyndsay is published.

References

↑ Browne, E. Janet (1995). Charles Darwin: vol. 1 Voyaging. London: Jonathan Cape. pp. 73–5. ISBN 1-84413-314-1.
↑ Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0.
↑ Bradley, O. Charnock (1923). History of the Edinburgh Veterinary College. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
↑ Kermack, W. R. (1944). 19 Centuries of Scotland. Edinburgh: Johnston. p. 86.
↑ "Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823)". National Records of Scotland. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
↑ Rock, Joe. "The Burns Monument, Alloway" . Retrieved 27 August 2014.
↑ Chambers, William. "William Tennant". Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen . Retrieved 7 August 2014.

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[1] Browne, E. Janet (1995). Charles Darwin: vol. 1 Voyaging. London: Jonathan Cape. pp. 73–5. ISBN 1-84413-314-1.

[2] Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0.

[3] Bradley, O. Charnock (1923). History of the Edinburgh Veterinary College. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.

[4] Kermack, W. R. (1944). 19 Centuries of Scotland. Edinburgh: Johnston. p. 86.

[5] "Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823)". National Records of Scotland. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2022.

[6] Rock, Joe. "The Burns Monument, Alloway" . Retrieved 27 August 2014.

[7] Chambers, William. "William Tennant". Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen . Retrieved 7 August 2014.

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18th century	1701 1702 1703 1704 1705 1706 1707 1708 1709 1710 1711 1712 1713 1714 1715 1716 1717 1718 1719 1720 1721 1722 1723 1724 1725 1726 1727 1728 1729 1730 1731 1732 1733 1734 1735 1736 1737 1738 1739 1740 1741 1742 1743 1744 1745 1746 1747 1748 1749 1750 1751 1752 1753 1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1759 1760 1761 1762 1763 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 1770 1771 1772 1773 1774 1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800
19th century	1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900
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