Events from the year 1726 in Scotland.
Incumbents Secretary of State for Scotland: vacant
Law officers Lord Advocate – Duncan Forbes Solicitor General for Scotland – John Sinclair, jointly with Charles Erskine
Judiciary Lord President of the Court of Session – Lord North Berwick Lord Justice General – Lord Ilay Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Grange
Events c. April/May – General George Wade begins an 11-year construction program on military roads of Scotland. 25 May – Britain's first circulating library is opened in Edinburgh by poet and bookseller Allan Ramsay. 23 June – professional Irish swordsman Andrew Bryan is defeated in a public duel in Edinburgh by 62-year-old Killiecrankie veteran Donald Bane "to the great joy of the Edinburgh citizenry". A faculty of medicine is formally established at the University of Edinburgh, a predecessor of the University of Edinburgh Medical School. John Rutherford becomes Professor of Practice of Medicine.
Births 17 January – Hugh Mercer, soldier and physician (died 1777 of wounds received at the Battle of Princeton) 6 February – Patrick Russell, surgeon and herpetologist (died 1805 in London) 3 June – James Hutton, geologist (died 1797) 26 September – John H. D. Anderson, scientist (died 1796) Andrew Bell, engraver, co-founder of the Encyclopædia Britannica (died 1809) Thomas Melvill, natural philosopher (died 1753)
Deaths 8 July – John Ker, spy (born 1673) August – Colonel John Stewart (of Livingstone), former Member of Parliament for the Kirkcudbright Stewartry, killed by Sir Gilbert Eliott, 3rd Baronet, of Stobs 25 November – Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, judge
The arts James Thomson begins publication of his poem cycle The Seasons with "Winter".
See also 1726 in Great Britain
References