1821 in Scotland

Events from the year 1821 in Scotland.

Law officers

 * Lord Advocate – Sir William Rae, Bt
 * Solicitor General for Scotland – James Wedderburn

Judiciary

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

Events

 * 15 January – Sumburgh Head Lighthouse in Shetland, designed by Robert Stevenson, is first illuminated.
 * 28 April – foundation stone for the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, is laid.
 * 18 July – thief David Haggart is hanged in Edinburgh, aged 20, for the murder of a Dumfries tolbooth keeper in 1820, leaving an autobiography, The life of David Haggart, and phrenologist George Combe's Phrenological observations on the cerebral development of David Haggart.
 * 14 August – Trinity Chain Pier opens at Trinity, Edinburgh.
 * 16 October – the School of Arts of Edinburgh, a predecessor of Heriot-Watt University, is established by Leonard Horner for the education of working men.
 * The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is founded as The Society for the Encouragement of the Useful Arts in Scotland by David Brewster.
 * The publisher T&T Clark is established in Edinburgh by Thomas Clark.
 * William Hooker (botanist) publishes Flora Scotica; or, A description of Scottish plants.
 * Robert Owen's Report to the County of Lanark, of a plan for relieving public distress and removing discontent is published in Glasgow.

Births

 * 10 March – Màiri Mhòr nan Òran, Gaelic poet (died 1898)
 * 15 March – William Milligan, theologian (died 1893)
 * 11 April – James Campbell Walker, architect (died 1888)
 * 26 April – Robert Adamson, pioneer photographer (died 1848)
 * 16 June – Old Tom Morris, golfer (died 1908)
 * 19 June – George Whyte-Melville, sporting novelist (died hunting 1878 in England)
 * 1 August – James Gowans, architect (died 1890)
 * 17 October – Alexander Gardner, photographer (died 1882 in the United States)
 * 13 December – Joseph Noel Paton, painter (died 1901)
 * 29 December – John Francis Campbell, Celtic folklorist and inventor (died 1885 in France)

Deaths

 * 2 April – James Gregory, physician (born 1753)
 * 15 June – John Ballantyne, publisher (born 1774)
 * 4 October – John Rennie the Elder, civil engineer (born 1761; died in London)
 * 8 November – Charles Murray, actor (born 1754 in England)
 * 6 December – John Taylor, medical missionary (died in Persia)
 * Isabel Pagan, poet (born c.1741)

The arts

 * John Galt's novels Annals of the Parish and The Ayrshire Legatees are published.
 * Jane Porter's novel The Scottish Chiefs is published.
 * Sir Walter Scott's novel Kenilworth is published anonymously.