1781 in Scotland

Events from the year 1781 in Scotland.

Law officers

 * Lord Advocate – Henry Dundas;
 * Solicitor General for Scotland – Alexander Murray

Judiciary

 * Lord President of the Court of Session – Lord Arniston, the younger
 * Lord Justice General – The Viscount Stormont
 * Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Barskimming

Events

 * Construction of The Mound in Edinburgh begins.
 * Montrose Lunatic Asylum, Infirmary & Dispensary, predecessor of Sunnyside Royal Hospital, founded by Susan Carnegie.
 * John Howie begins publication of the 2nd edition of his Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies): A Brief Historical Account of the Lives, Characters, and Memorable Transactions of the Most Eminent Scots Worthies.

Births

 * March (probable) – John Burnet, engraver and painter (died 1868)
 * 16 March – William Mitchell, entrepreneur (died 1854)
 * 19 March – John Henry Wishart, surgeon (died 1834)
 * 12 June (probable) – Christian Isobel Johnstone, journalist and novelist (died 1857)
 * 12 September – John Grieve, poet (died 1836)
 * 14 September – James Walker, civil engineer (died 1862)
 * 18 September – Allan Burns, surgeon (died 1813)
 * 30 November – Alexander Berry, adventurer and Australian pioneer (died 1873 in Australia)
 * 11 December – David Brewster, physicist (died 1868)

Deaths

 * 31 March – Robert Watson, historian (born c. 1730)
 * 2 July – John Maule, MP (born 1706)

The arts

 * 4 July – Robert Burns joins the Freemasons at Tarbolton.
 * 12 October – first bagpipes competition in the Masonic Arms, Falkirk.