1824 in Scotland

Incumbents

• Monarch – George IV

  Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Sir William Rae, Bt
• Solicitor General for Scotland – John Hope

  Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session – Lord Granton
• Lord Justice General – The Duke of Montrose
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Boyle

  Events

• 19 April – brigantine Helen of Dundee, bound for Quebec, founders on what becomes known as Helen's Reef off Rockall with fatalities.
• 17 May – the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway is authorised; construction begins the following month.
• 24 May – the foundation stone for an oil-gas works at Tanfield in Edinburgh is laid by Sir Walter Scott, the company chairman.
• October – Edinburgh Academy, built to the design of William Burn, opens.
• 10 October – Edinburgh Town Council makes a decision to found a municipal fire brigade under James Braidwood, the first in Britain.
• 15–21 November – Great Fire of Edinburgh, starting in Old Assembly Close, kills 11 residents and 2 firemen, and destroys 24 tenements – leaving 400 families homeless – and other properties, including the spire of Tron Kirk.
• Blairquhan Castle near Maybole, rebuilt to the design of William Burn for the Hunter-Blair family, is completed.
• Speyside Scotch whisky distilleries established: Balmenach, Glenlivet and Macallan. Also, Cameron Bridge distillery is established by Haig.
• The Foot-Ball Club is established in Edinburgh, one of the earliest known clubs organised to play any kind of football.
• The Northern Yacht Club, a predecessor of the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club, is established in Rothesay.
• The Perth Golfing Society is formed.

  Births

• 24 February – John Dick Peddie, architect
• 8 March – John Elder, marine engineer
• 21 March – James Samuel, railway engineer
• 4 July – Robert B. Lindsay, Governor of Alabama
• 21 October – John Ritchie Findlay, newspaper owner and philanthropist
• 10 December – George MacDonald, writer, poet and Christian minister
• 17 December – John Kerr, physicist
• George Campbell, administrator in British India and Liberal politician

  Deaths

• 12 January – Walter Oudney, physician and explorer
• 15 January – Francis Dundas, British Army general and governor of Cape Colony
• 17 January – James Brodie of Brodie, botanist, clan chief and politician
• 31 March – Andrew Fyfe, anatomist
• 15 May – Alexander Campbell, musician and writer
• 19 December – Charles Smith, painter
• Approximate date – John Gunn, musician

  The arts

• Thomas Campbell's Miscellaneous Poems is published.
• James Hogg's novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner is published anonymously.
• William Knox's poetry collection Songs of Israel is published.
• Sir Walter Scott's novel Redgauntlet is published anonymously.
• Edwin Landseer visits Scotland for the first time to paint a portrait of Sir Walter Scott; he will return annually, concentrating on animal portraits.