Prominent Alumni

In the course of its near 780 year history, the School has educated a substantial number of individuals who have become well-known on account of their achievements across a range of different fields.  

Stretching as far back as the famous Scottish patriot, William Wallace, who was reputed to have been a student at the Grammar School in Dundee (one of the High School's precursors), right the way through to record-breaking around the world cyclist Mark Beaumont, the School can count among its former pupils a number who have well and truly made their mark. 

1270 - 1305 Sir William Wallace  Scottish patriot (according to Blind Harry in The Wallace)
1465 - 1536 Hector Boece  First Principal University of Aberdeen, friend of Erasmus
1470 - 1542 (circa) William Hay  Second Principal University of Aberdeen
1505 - 1572 Henry Scrimgeour  Diplomat and book collector
1544 - 1628 Sir Peter Young  Privy Councillor, diplomat, tutor to James VI
1636 - 1691 Sir George Mackenzie  Lord Advocate, founder of the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh 
1731 - 1804 Viscount Duncan of Camperdown Admiral Adam Duncan of the Royal Navy
1734 - 1775 Prof William Small  Physician and Professor of Natural Philosophy at the College of William and Mary, Virginia; mentor of Thomas Jefferson
1750 - 1774 Robert Fergusson  Poet
1765 - 1842 Sir James Ivory  FRS FRSE KH LLD Mathematician, creator of Ivory's Theorem
1775 - 1833 George Kinloch  MP, Scottish radical reformer and politician. 
1786 - 1861 Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair  Provost of St Andrews
1793 – 1872 Sir David Baxter  1st Baronet; Dundee linen manufacturer and philanthropist; Founder of Baxter Park in Dundee; his legacy founded the Dundee Technical Institute, precursor of Abertay University, Dundee; Benefactor to the University of Edinburgh
1798 - 1844 Thomas Henderson  First Astronomer Royal of Scotland, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, and director of Calton Hill Observatory
1825 - 1890 The Rt Hon William Edward Baxter  MP, businessman, Liberal politician and travel writer 
1825 - 1892 Sir William Aitken  FRS Physician and pathologist
1826 - 1893 Sir Andrew Clark  Bart M.D F.R.S Physician and pathologist
1843 - 1897 Alexander Crawford Lamb  Dundee Hotelier, Antiquarian and art collector
1845 - 1933 Robert Fleming  Founder of Flemings Bank
1855 - 1935 Prof Sir James Alfred Ewing  Principal of the University of Edinburgh, Director of Military Intelligence and engineer
1860 - 1945 Isabella ‘Marie’ Franziska Imandt  First woman to graduate with Honours as a “Lady Literate in Arts” from the University of St Andrews, and pioneering woman journalist 
1861 - 1954 David Coupar Thomson  Newspaper Proprietor DC Thomson
1862 - 1936 Lord Anderson (Andrew Macbeth Anderson)  Judge, politician and Solicitor General for Scotland
1863 - 1913 Mary Lily Walker  Social reformer
1863 - 1924 Frederick Miller  Journalist, editor of The Daily Telegraph
1871 – 1952 Dr William Thomas Calman  CB DLL FRS Prominent zoologist; Keeper of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History); first Dundee graduate to be elected as Fellow of the Royal Society
1872 - 1958 Brig General Sir Alexander Gibb GBE CB FRS FRSE Civil Engineer-in-Chief to the Admiralty and Director-General of Civil Engineering at the Ministry of Transport
1872 - 1958 Prof Norman Kemp Smith Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh
1873 - 1954 Hilda Lockhart Lorimer  Pioneering classicist and archaeologist, Somerville College and University Lecturer, Oxford
1873 - 1958 Henry Noel Brailsford  Radical journalist and writer, co-founder of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage in 1907
1874 - 1950 Dr Janet Lindsay Greig  Pioneering Scottish-Australian anaesthetist, co-founder of Queen Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, Melbourne
1875 - 1940 Sir Charles Coupar Barrie  1st Baron Abertay, KBE, JP, DL businessman and Liberal politician
1875 - 1964 Dr Agnes Forbes Savill (nee Blackadder)  First female graduate of the University of St Andrews, pioneer radiologist and suffragette
1876 - 1962 Lt-Col David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer  Soldier, administrator, linguist and renowned Orientalist
1876 - 1957 Mary Pollock Grant  Suffragette  
1880 - 1953 Sir David Anderson  Civil Engineer and Lawyer
1880 - 1915 Preston Watson  Aviator and pioneer of powered flight
1882 - 1968 Sir Alexander Gray  CBE, FRSE Scottish civil servant, economist, academic, translator, writer and poet
1884 - 1983 Prof Dr Ruth Young  CBE Principal of Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi, first captain of the HSD hockey XI
1885 - 1967 Prof William Laughton Lorimer  Professor of Greek at the University of St Andrews, and translator of the New Testament into Scots
1885 - 1975 Sir Garnet Wilson  Scottish businessman and Liberal politician who served as Lord Provost of Dundee.
1896 - 1990 Very Rev James Stuart Stewart  Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the period 1963-1964 
1902 - 1986 Baron Fulton (John Scott Fulton)  First Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, Governor of the BBC and Chairman of the British Council
1912 - 2007 George Elder Davie  Philosopher and author of The Democratic Intellect (1961)
1921 - 2003 Baron Perry of Walton (Walter LM Perry)  OBE FRS FRCP FRSE First Vice Chancellor of the Open University
1922 - 2014 Prof Sir Alan Peacock  Economist, Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham
1927 The Rt Hon Lord Ross (Donald Ross)  Lord Justice Clark
1927 - 2011 Joyce Hunter (nee Pringle) Captain of the very first Team GB Women's Hockey Team
1931 - 2017 Very Rev Dr James Leslie Weatherhead  CBE Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 1993–1994
1933 Dave Duncan  Author
1935 The Rt Hon Lord Cullen of Whitekirk (Douglas Cullen)  Lord President of the Court of Session
1938 - 2006 Iain MacMillan  Photographer who took the cover photograph for The Beatles' Abbey Road album
1945 Very Rev Dr Finlay MacDonald  Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 2002-2003
1947 Rob Flockhart  Former Scottish Rugby President
1954 Frank Hadden  Former Scottish Rugby Union Head Coach
1954 - 2014 David Taylor  General Secretary of UEFA
1955 Brian Taylor  BBC political journalist and broadcaster 
1956 Prof Dame Anne Glover  Former Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland and former Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission
1956 Prof AW (Bill) Roscoe  Professor of Computing Science at the University of Oxford; Head of the Department of Computer Science (2003 – 2014); Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering; Fellow of the Academia Europeae; Founder/Director of the China-Europe FinTech Innovation (Chieftin) Lab, Shenzhen  
1957 Ricky Ross  Singer/songwriter and member of Deacon Blue
1958 John Wooler  American-based Record Producer
1959 Andrew Marr  Political Journalist and Broadcaster
1965 AL Kennedy  Author
1969 William Tunstall-Pedoe  British Entrepreneur and designer of the voice behind Amazon's Echo and Alexa
1971 Andy Nicol  Former Scottish Rugby Union internationalist and captain; British Lion
1975 KT Tunstall  Singer/songwriter
1976 Jonny Petrie Former Scottish Rugby Union Internationalist and captain; CEO Ulster Rugby
1977 Martel Maxwell  Journalist and Broadcaster
1978 Neil Forsyth Author, Television Writer & Journalist
1983 Mark Beaumont  World Record breaking around the world cyclist and adventurer and broadcaster
1983 Alasdair Dickinson  Scottish Rugby Union internationalist
1987 Richie Vernon  Scottish Rugby Union internationalist 
1990 Eilish McColgan  Olympic athlete   
1991 Joanna Vanderham  Actress
1993 Charlie Guest  Olympic Slalom and Giant Slalom Alpine Skier
1996 Zander Fagerson  Scottish Rugby Union internationalist
1998 Matt Fagerson  Scottish Rugby Union player