1757 in Scotland

Events from the year 1757 in Scotland.

Law officers

 * Lord Advocate – Robert Dundas the younger
 * Solicitor General for Scotland – Andrew Pringle of Alemore

Judiciary

 * Lord President of the Court of Session – Lord Glendoick
 * Lord Justice General – Lord Ilay
 * Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Tinwald

Events

 * 77th Regiment of Foot (Montgomerie's Highlanders) raised as the First Highland Battalion by Maj. Archibald Montgomerie
 * 78th Fraser Highlanders raised as the Second Highland Battalion.
 * Macfarlane Observatory established at the University of Glasgow; its instruments are set up by James Watt in his new capacity as the university's instrument maker.
 * Physician Francis Home publishes The Principles of Agriculture and Vegetation, an early presentation of the chemical principles underlying plant nutrition, in Edinburgh.
 * Final rebuilding of Douglas Castle begins.
 * Ossian's Hall of Mirrors, a folly at Dunkeld, is built.
 * First lighthouse on Little Cumbrae is built.
 * Main defences of Fort George completed.
 * Robert Adam surveys the ruins of Diocletian's Palace at Spalato in Dalmatia.

Births

 * 27 February
 * Andrew Macdonald, Episcopal clergyman, poet and playwright (died 1790)
 * (baptised) – David Hume, advocate (died 1838)
 * 4 March – George Thomson, musician and collector of traditional music (died 1851)
 * April – John Clerk, Lord Eldin, judge (died 1832)
 * 9 August – Thomas Telford, civil engineer (died 1834 in London)
 * 20 October – Robert Kerr, surgeon and writer (died 1813)
 * 13 November – Archibald Alison, Episcopal clergyman and essayist (died 1839)
 * 6 December – Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet, general (died 1829)
 * James Bonar, lawyer and astronomer (died 1821)
 * Robert Brown, agriculturalist (died 1831)
 * Andrew Mitchell, admiral (died 1806 in Bermuda)

Deaths

 * 19 January – Thomas Ruddiman, classical scholar, librarian and printer (born 1664)
 * 20 January – Robert Keith, Episcopal bishop and historian (born 1681)
 * 8 March – Thomas Blackwell, classical scholar (born 1701)

The arts

 * William Burness builds Burns Cottage in Alloway; his son, the national poet Robert Burns, will be born here in January 1759.