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ADAM, Robert (1728-1792)

Architect, second son of the eminent Scottish architect, William Adam. Robert's distinctive neo-classical style was inspired by his studies of ancient Italian architecture. He worked in partnership with his brother, James, and was accomplished in many aspects of interior design. Major works in Scotland include: Charlotte Square, Old College and Register House, Edinburgh; the Royal Infirmary of Glasgow; and Culzean Castle in Ayrshire. He was MP for the county of Kinross from 1768. He died in 1792 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

ARROL, Sir William (1839-1913)

Builder of the Forth Rail Bridge and of the second Tay Bridge which replaced the
ill-fated structure that collapsed in 1879.

BAIRD, John Logie or Loggie (1888-1946)

Pioneer of television and inventor. Most of his ground-breaking work was carried out in the English town of Hastings, scene of the famous battle of 1066, and includes these firsts: a formal display of television (1925); video recordings (1926); colour television (1928); and an outside broadcast (1932).His part-mechanical television system was tested by the BBC but was passed over in favour of EMI-Marconi's electronic prototype. He died suddenly in 1946 and his achievements have long been neglected.

BELL, Alexander Graham (1847-1922)

Inventor of the telephone andeducator of the deaf. He emigrated to Canada but continued his work for the Deaf in the United States. He constructed the first telephone at Boston in 1875 and introduced his invention to Britain two years later. His birth wasn't registered until 12 September 1849 along with those of two of his brothers.

BOUCH, Sir Thomas (1822-1880)

Civil Engineer. He designed the ill-fated Tay Bridge, a railway bridge which was opened on 31 May 1878 but collapsed on 28 December 1879 with the loss of 90 lives. He died at the age of 58 shortly after the enquiry into the disaster condemned him.

BREWSTER, Sir David (1781-1868)

Natural philosopher and inventor. Brewster made major discoveries in relation to the polarisation of light, and was the inventor of the kaleidoscope (1816). He was Principal of the University of Edinburgh; a writer on optics and astronomy; a corresponding member of the Institute of France and the Royal Academies of Russia, Prussia, Sweden and Denmark; first director of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts (1821) and editor of the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' for 22 years. He also made alterations to the stereoscope invented by Wheatstone.

CARNEGIE, Andrew (1835-1919)

Manufacturer and philanthropist. He emigrated with his family to Pennsylvania in the United States in 1848. He made his fortune there in iron and steel production. The British, American and Canadian public library systems benefited greatly from his generosity - the numerous Carnegie library buildings are testament to this. He also set up a trust for the Scottish Universities.

CLERK MAXWELL, James (1831-1879)

Physicist, one of Scotland's greatest scientists of the nineteenth century. His main discoveries were in electricity and magnetism; and the kinetic theory of gases. He published many works including 'Theory of heat' and 'Matter and motion' ; and held posts at Aberdeen University and King's College, London before becoming professor of experimental physics at Cambridge in 1871.

He was born on 13 June 1831 and registered as James Clerk MAXWELL

DALE, David (1739-1806)

Industrialist and philanthropist. He owned the first cotton mill in Scotland (1778) and founded the New Lanark Mills. His son-in-law, Robert Owen, took over the cotton mills at New Lanark and made them world famous through his pioneering social programmes. Dale was himself a pioneer in employees' welfare; he imported food for the poor at his own expense in times of hardship. He was also leader of the 'Old Scotch Independents'.

DUNLOP, John Boyd (1840-1921)

Inventor and pioneer of the pneumatic rubber tyre. He developed the air-tube tyre patented by Robert Thomson. He fitted a tricycle with pneumatic instead of solid rubber tyres which he patented in 1888. His invention revolutionised cycling and made possible the development of the motor road vehicle, as it greatly increased the speed and comfort of motor travel. He sold the patent to William Harvey du Cros in 1890, which ultimately led to the formation of the Dunlop Rubber Company.

He was born on 5 February 1840

GLOVER, Thomas Blake (1838-1911)

Industrialist and engineer. Decribed as the founding father of Japan's economic miracle. His contribution to the industrialisation of Japan included the introduction of the first railway locomotive and the first mint; mechanisation of the coal-mines; the founding father of the Japanese Navy and the modernisation of the shipbuilding industry (his own company grew into Mitsubishi to whom he became a consultant); and the introduction of the Kusuge dock which was imported from Aberdeen to Nagasaki. This "Scottish Samurai" was the first non-Japanese person to be awarded the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun. The character Pinkerton in Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly is said to be modelled on him and his former house in Nagasaki is a top tourist attraction. His family home, Glover House, 79 Balgownie Road, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen is now open to the public as a restored Victorian House, telling the Glover story. He died on 16 December 1911 in Tokyo. On 5 May 1997 The Scotsman reported that Sean Connery is likely to play the role of Glover in a film about his colourful life.

He was born on 6 June 1838.

McADAM, John Loudon or Lowdon (1756-1836)

Inventor of the 'Tarmacadam' or tarmac surface for roads.His interest in roads developed when he was a volunteer during the Napoleonic wars but he did not become a professional road-engineer until 1816 when he was 60 years of age. He is celebrated for the great improvements he made to roadmaking in Great Britain. He died in Moffat aged 80 but there are no deaths recorded in that parish for this period.

MacINTOSH or McINTOSH, Charles (1766-1843)

Chemist and inventor of waterproof fabrics which he produced by combining naphtha, a by-product of tar, with rubber. He obtained a patent for his water-proofing process in 1823. The 'mac' or 'macintosh' remains a popular name for a raincoat to this day.

McMILLAN, Kirkpatrick (1812-1878)

Inventor of the bicycle. A Dumfries-shire blacksmith who applied pedals to a tricycle in 1834 and designed the first self-propelled bicycle in 1839. The latter didn't break any speed records as the wheels were rimmed with iron but a later version of the 'hobbyhorse' did successfully challenge a post-carriage in 1842! McMillan's mechanism were superseded, however,with the introduction of new designs by his French counterparts.

MURDOCH, William (1754-1839)

Engineer and discoverer of coal gas. The son of a millwright who having discovered coal gas at Redruth in Cornwall, began its installation for lighting purposes in 1792. He made several other inventions and improvements to existing machinery such as James Watt's steam-engine. The invention of 'iron cement' is also attributed to him. He died in 1839.

OWEN, Robert (1771-1858)

Cotton-manufacturer, philanthropist and social reformer. Following his apprenticeship in the cotton trade, he worked in Manchester before taking over over the mills established by David Dale at New Lanark on the Clyde. He introduced a pioneering approach to factory management by providing a good working environment, medical care and education for the workforce and their families. This together with the 'Institution for the formation of character' which he established in 1816 brought him to international attention, although his attempts to set up similar schemes in the United States and elsewhere failed. The village of New Lanark is now a working museum and has been designated a World Heritage site.

SOMERVILLE, Mary (1780-1872)

Scientist. She moved in a brilliant intellectual circle and was in correspondence with the leading scientists of her day. Her publications include: 'The connexion of the physical sciences', Mechanism of the heavens' and 'Physical geography'. She became an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society, an honour shared with only one other woman at that time. She died at Naples in 1872 aged 93 and gave her name to Somerville College, Oxford.

TELFORD or TELFER, Thomas (1757-1834)

Civil engineer - the 'Colossus of Roads'. The son of a shepherd who went on to become the most eminent British engineer of his day and founder of the Institute of Civil Engineers. He built numerous canals, bridges, harbours, churches and manses. Some of his most notable works are the Caledonian Canal (1803-23), the Dean Bridge in Edinburgh (1832), the Menai Suspension Bridge in North Wales (1825) and the 920 miles of roads and 120 bridges which he built in the northern counties of Scotland as part of a Govenment-funded scheme. He also wrote poetry and contributed to Ruddiman's 'Edinburgh Magazine'. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.

THOMSON, Robert William (1822-1873)

Engineer and inventor. Thomson was sent to America to become a merchant, but returned to Scotland to train as an engineer. He invented the pneumatic tyre in 1845. This was later developed by Dunlop but it is Thomson's patent that substantially covers the tyre as it is today. His inventive abilities were applied to a variety of fields and he also originated many other devices and systems including: the self-filling fountain pen (1849); machinery for sugar manufacture in Java; the elliptic rotary engine; the hydraulic dry dock; solid rubber tyres; electrical detonation of explosives; and steam-driven omnibuses, tractors and cranes.

WATT, James (1736-1819)

Engineer. He played a leading role in the Industrial Revolution through his development of the steam engine and other inventions. He also independently discovered the composition of water. His main workshop, with Matthew Boulton, was at the Soho Engineering Works in Birmingham and that city's public library now holds the main collection of his papers.

YOUNG, James or 'Paraffin Young' (1811-1883)

Industrial chemist and inventor of paraffin. He manufactured oil from shale in West Lothian and began the sale of paraffin in 1856. He was president of Anderson's college from 1868 and later established a chair in technical chemistry. He also took part in experiments to measure the velocity of light and, as a friend of David Livingstone, made generous donations to his African expedition appeal.