1. Liam MacKay (1987)

YouTube Star

Content producer for the Yogscast also known by the name Nilesy who became best known for his gameplay of The Binding of Isaac and Team Fortress 2. His YouTube channel...

2. William Brodie (1741)

Criminal

18th century English criminal who famously used his job as a cabinet maker to create copies of keys and rob his clients. Due to his status as an Edinburgh City...

3. Robert Fergusson (1750)

British Writer

Scots-language and English-language poet of the Scottish Enlightenment era. His poems include "Leith Races" and "The Farmer's Ingle."

4. Walter Scott (1771)

Novelist

Scottish romantic author and poet whose popular literary works include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, and The Lady of the Lake. He was also active in the Scottish Tory party and served...

5. Catherine Dickens (1815)

Wife Of Charles Dickens

Wife of the iconic author Charles Dickens. She grew up in Scotland as the oldest of ten children of Edinburgh newspaper editor George Hogarth.

6. Alexander Graham Bell (1847)

Telephone Inventor

Scientist, innovator, and inventor known for patenting the first practical telephone. He also had groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics and served as the second president of the...

7. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850)

Scottish Novelist Poet Travel Wr

Scottish author of the classic adventure novel Treasure Island, and the psychological thriller The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His other popular and widely translated works include...

8. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859)

Novelist

Scottish author of the legendary Sherlock Holmes detective novels. He also created the lesser- known character, Professor Challenger, and in addition to detective stories, wrote poetry, plays, and science-fiction works.

9. Kenneth Grahame (1859)

British Novelist

Scottish writer who wrote the popular 1908 piece of children's literature The Wind in the Willows and the 1898 story The Reluctant Dragon which was later made into Disney films.

10. Greg McHugh (1980)

TV Actor

Creator and star of the BBC1 Comedy series Gary: Tank Commander. He has also become well-known for his portrayal of Howard in the Channel 4 sitcom Fresh Meat.

11. Nigel Gresley (1876)

Engineer

British engineer credited with the design of some of Britain's most famous steam locomotives. He was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway.

12. Louise Linton (1980)

Actress

Film actress and political wife who is recognized for having appeared in horror films such as Cabin Fever and Intruders. She has also been seen on procedural television dramas such as CSI: NY and Cold...

13. Tommy Armour (1894)

Professional Golfer

Nicknamed the Silver Scot, he won 27 PGA Tour Events, including 3 majors: the 1927 U.S. Open, the 1931 Open Championship and the 1930 PGA Championship.

14. Charlie Gardiner (1904)

Hockey Player

NHL Hall of Fame goaltender who in 1934 became the first goalie captain in NHL history to lead his team to Stanley Cup victory.

15. Norman MacCaig (1910)

Poet

Scottish poet known for A Round of Applause and other collections of simple, humorous poems. During the 1970s and 1980s, he received both the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry and...

16. Callum Grant (2003)

TikTok Star

Variety content creator on TikTok who is best known for his comedy videos. He has more than 1.1 million followers on his callum.grant7 account.

17. Doddie Weir (1970)

Scottish Rugby Union Player

Scotland-born Rugby Union player who became known for his skills as a lock; played a decade on the Scottish national team.

18. Chris Paterson (1978)

Scottish Rugby Union Player

Versatile rugby union player for Scotland and Edinburgh. He also played for Gloucester from 2007 to 2008.

19. Alex Welsh (1929)

Scottish Musician

Scottish-born jazz and Dixieland musician remembered for his trumpet, cornet, and vocal performances. His recordings include Dixieland to Duke/The Melrose Folio and Music of the Mauve Decade.

20. Sean Connery (1930)

Oscar-winning Scottish Actor

Iconic Scottish actor who starred as secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1962 to 1983, including Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. He earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for...

21. Ronnie Corbett (1930)

Scottish Actor And Comedian

Comedian and actor who rose to fame on the UK sketch comedy series The Two Ronnies.

22. Lee Wallace (1987)

Actor

Scottish soccer player best known for his years with Heart of Midlothian and Rangers FC, winning the Rangers FC Player of the Year award for the 2013-14 season. He has...

23. Chris Hoy (1976)

A British And Scottish Track Cyc

Scottish Olympian and one of the most successful cyclists of all time. He won his first Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, followed by three gold medals at the...

24. Joan Lingard (1932)

Young Adult Author

Famous for her bestselling Kevin and Sadie young adult series, Lingard is also notable for her Buxtehuder Bulle prize-winning work Across the Barricades and for her Carnegie Medal-shortlisted book Tug...

25. Ian Richardson (1934)

Actor

Scottish actor who starred as Professor Henry Higgins in the 1976 Broadway revival of "My Fair Lady." He is perhaps best known for his television role of Francis Urquhart in...

26. Eleni Kalorkoti (1991)

Illustrator

Scottish illustrator who's worked with major clients such as Google, The New Yorker and The New York Times. Her original designs, which often feature the human figure, are shared on Instagram...

27. Jason Cummings (1995)

Soccer Player

Forward who made his debut with Scotland's Hibernian Football Club in 2013. In 2017, he joined Nottingham Forest; he was then loaned to Scottish Premiership side Rangers in January of...

28. Catriona Matthew (1969)

Professional Golfer

In 2009, she won the Women's British Open and was named the Ladies European Tour Player of the Year. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1995.

29. Morag Siller (1969)

British Actor

TV, film, and theatre actress known for her roles as Marilyn Dingle on Emmerdale, Karen Small on Ladies of Letters, and Leona on Casualty. She died of breast cancer on...

30. Alex Bain (1936)

Actor

Scottish forward who spent his club career with five different teams, most notably making 29 appearances with Huddersfield Town from 1957 to 1959.

31. Graeme Souness (1953)

Scottish Footballer And Manager

Former soccer player and manager who was a midfielder for Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and the Scottish national team, was a player-manager for the Rangers and went on to manage several professional...

32. Gavin Hastings (1962)

Scottish Rugby Union Player

Fullback nicknamed Big Gav became one of Scotland's best players in history by scoring over 660 points in 61 caps with the national team.

33. Nicky Campbell (1961)

Tv And Radio Personality

Journalist and television host known for hosting the Scottish version of Wheel of Fortune, and Watchdog, the consumer affairs program.

34. KT Tunstall (1975)

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter and guitarist who released the Her debut single was "Suddenly I See". "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree," which she performed on Jools Holland's show.

35. Ethan Hamilton (2002)

TikTok Star

Known as EthannnHamilton on both Instagram and TikTok, he is a video creator who garnered over 380,000 followers on the latter app where he has posted a mix of comedy, acting...

36. Lewis MacDougall (2002)

Movie Actor

Breaking through as an actor after landing the part of Nibs in 2015's Pan, he would go on to book roles in 2016's A Monster Calls and 2017's Boundaries.

37. Stuart Sutcliffe (1940)

Artist Bassist Singer

The Beatles' first bassist who was credited, along with John Lennon, with creating the band's name. He also pursued a solo career and trained as an abstract expressionist painter.

38. Hannah Gordon (1941)

British Actor

TV actress most recognized for her roles in shows like My Wife Next Door and Telford's Change.

39. Ian Black (1985)

Actor

Scottish midfielder who has won Scottish league titles with Heart of Midlothian and Rangers FC. He began representing Scotland internationally in 2005.

40. Charlie Aitken (1942)

Soccer Player

Defender who played from 1959-1976 for Aston Villa, winning the Football League Cup in 1975; he also represented Scotland in 1961-1962.

41. Mike Barson (1958)

British Musician

Musician, songwriter and composer who became popular in the 70s as a founding member and keyboard player for the popular band Madness. They're known for songs like "It Must Be...

42. Ian Wilmut (1944)

Embryologist

Famous for leading the mid-1990s scientific group that created a cloned sheep named Dolly from an adult sheep's somatic cell, he taught at the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for...

43. Tony Blair (1953)

Politician; Former Prime Ministe

British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and was a staunch U.S. ally during the War on Terror. Forty-three...

44. Michael Gove (1967)

British Politician

British Conservative who served as the Secretary of State for Education before being promoted to Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in the 2015 general election. He previously...

45. Caitlin Bell (1993)

Younow Star

YouTube and YouNow singer who has earned over 20,000 subscribers to the former platform. 

46. Kathleen Jamie (1962)

Poet

Critically acclaimed poet who has garnered numerous awards including several T.S. Eliot Prizes, a Creative Scotland Award, and the Forward Poetry Prize.

47. Brad McKay (1993)

Soccer Player

Center back who made his professional debut in 2010 for Heart of Midlothian and played on loan with Penicuik Athletic and Stenhousemuir.

48. Sandy Jardine (1948)

Scottish Former Professional Foo

Right-back who played professionally from 1965-1988 for the Rangers FC and Heart of Midlothian, and internationally for Scotland from 1970-1979.

49. Alan Longmuir (1948)

British Musician

Bassist for The Bay City Rollers, a 1970s pop band. Also an actor, he starred in a 1980s film called Burning Rubber.

50. Tolu Ogunlesi (1982)

Journalist

Scottish-born Nigerian journalist and blogger who was named Special Assistant on Digital/New Media by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016. He won CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards in both 2009 and 2013.