# 1823 in Scotland

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Events from the year 1823 in Scotland.

## Incumbents
### 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

* 14 January – the Plinian Society is inaugurated for students of natural history at the University of Edinburgh under the presidency of John Baird.
* 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.
* 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.
* James Smith of Deanston introduces an improved method of land drainage on slopes.
* 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)
* 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.
* 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.
* John Wilson's novel The Trials of Margaret Lyndsay is published.