Events from the year 1781 in Scotland.
Incumbents
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.
See also
Timeline of Scottish history
References