Principal (office of)

The Principal and Vice-Chancellor is the most senior member of University staff. From 1585-1620 it was combimed with the role of Rector. The 'Vice-Chancellor' element of the title emerged from the Universities (Scotland) Act 1858.

Chronological list

1586 Robert Rollock (1555-1599) (previously Regent)

1599 Henry Charteris (c1565–1628)

1620 Patrick Sands (c1567-1635)

1622 Robert Boyd (1578-1627)

1623 John Adamson (1576–1651?)

1652 William Colville (d. 1675) (did not take up office)

1653 Robert Leighton (c1611-1684)

1662 William Colville (d. 1675)

1675 Andrew Cant

1685 Alexander Monro (c1648-1698)

1690 Gilbert Rule (c1629-1701)

1703 William Carstares (1649-1715)

1716 William Wishart "primus" (1660-1729)

1730 William Hamilton (1669-1732)

1732 James Smith (1680-1736)

1736 William Wishart "secundus" (c1692-1753)

1754 John Gowdie (c1682-1762)

1762 William Robertson (1721-1793)

1793 George Husband Baird (1761-1840)

1840 John Lee (1779-1859)

1859 Sir David Brewster (1781-1868)

1868 Sir Alexander Grant (1826-1884)

1885 Sir William Muir (1819-1905)

1903 Sir William Turner (1832-1916)

1916 Sir Alfred James Ewing (1855-1935)

1929 Sir Thomas Henry Holland (1868-1947)

1944 Sir John Fraser (1885-1947)

1948 Sir Edward Victor Appleton (1892-1965)

1965 Sir Michael Meredith Swann (1920-1990)

1974 Sir Hugh Norwood Robson (1917-1977)

1979 Sir John Harrison Burnett (1922-2007)

1987 Sir David Cecil Smith (1930- )

1994 Sir Stewart Ross Sutherland (1934- )

2002 Sir Timothy Michael Martin O'Shea (1949- )