Arts |150px •
Theodore S. Clerk, (1909–1965), city planner, first Ghanaian architect and developer of the port city of
Tema • Sir
James Dunbar-Nasmith (born 1927), conservation architect and head of ECA's Department of Architecture 1978–1988 • Sir
Nicholas Grimshaw (born 1939), architect of the
Eden Project, president of the
Royal Academy since 2004 •
Sir William Kininmonth (1904–1988), architect of Adam House and
Pollock Halls, both in Edinburgh •
Lynn Kinnear (1960-2024), landscape architect •
Kygo, Norwegian DJ and record producer (did not graduate) • Sir
Robert Matthew (1906–1975), designed the
Royal Commonwealth Pool and founded
RMJM •
John McAslan, architect •
Taqi Nazeer, Scottish born actor •
John Notman (1810–1865), architect and landscape architect •
Patrick Nuttgens (1930–2004), academic and writer on architecture •
Nivetha Pethuraj, Indian actress • Dame
Muriel Spark, British writer (took a course in
commercial correspondence and
précis writing at Heriot-Watt College) • Sir
Basil Spence (1907–1976), architect of
Coventry Cathedral and the
New Zealand Parliament Building (nicknamed 'The Beehive') in Wellington, New Zealand •
Douglas Stuart, British writer, fashion designer, winner of
2020 Booker Prize •
John Thomson, pioneering photographer •
Deepak Tripathi, historian and former journalist •
Irvine Welsh, British writer of the novel
Trainspotting •
Greg Wise, British actor and producer •
Joanne Yeoh, Malaysian violinist and music lecturer at
Universiti Putra Malaysia •
Gary Younge, writer and journalist •
Casa Yuen, South Africa-born Hong Kong
TVB actress
Academia and science |150px •
Le Hai An (1971–2019), Deputy Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam and rector of
Hanoi University of Mining and Geology •
Iain Baikie, physicist, winner of
Swan Medal and Prize •
Christina Miller, chemist •
David A. B. Miller, applied physicist; winner of
R. W. Wood Prize and
Adolph Lomb Medal •
James Nasmyth, inventor of the
steam hammer •
Evelyn Roxburgh (1896–1973), electrical engineer •
Sarah Tabrizi, neurologist •
Chris Whitty, physician; Chief Medical Advisor to the UK Government
Business •
Robert Buchan, British/Canadian businessman, founder of
Kinross Gold Corporation •
Adam Crozier, British businessman, chief executive and television executives; Chief Executive of
ITV •
Roger Jenkins, British financier, former Chief Executive of Barclays Private Equity, Principal Investments and Structured Capital Markets •
Bob Keiller, British businessman, Chief Executive of
Wood Group •
Michael Lombardi, Canadian businessman, founder of
Lombardi Media Corporation •
Ian Ritchie, British businessman, founder of
OWL, missed
WWW opportunity of
Tim Berners-Lee •
Maurice Tulloch (born 1969), British/Canadian businessman, CEO of
Aviva •
Per Valebrokk, Norwegian editor and business man, partner of Storm Communications
Politics •
Nathif Jama Adam, Somali banker and politician •
Sarah Boyack, former MSP and Minister for Transport of Scotland •
Liam Burns,
NUS UK president 2011–2013 •
Ingvald Godal, former member of the Norwegian Parliament and former chairman of the Norwegian Support Committee for Chechnya •
Bernie Grant, British Labour Party politician, the Member of Parliament for Tottenham from 1987 to 2000; Britain's first Afro-Caribbean MP (did not graduate) •
Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in the
Scottish Government •
Hassan Ali Khaire, Somali politician,
Prime Minister of Somalia •
Archy Kirkwood, Baron Kirkwood of Kirkhope, former
Liberal Democrat MP •
Mark MacGregor, Conservative Party politician •
Gillian Mackay,
Green Party MSP for
Central Scotland •
Graham Watson, former MEP; Leader of the European Parliament's Liberal Group 2002–2009 and president of the EU's Liberal Democratic Party 2011–2015 •
Lord Mike Watson, Baron Watson of Invergowrie, former MP and MSP •
Henry McLeish, former
First Minister of Scotland •
Brian Monteith, former Conservative MSP •
Henning Skumsvoll, member of the Norwegian Parliament •
Teo Ho Pin, former member of the Singapore Parliament •
Ravi Philemon, co-founder of Singapore's opposition political party
Red Dot United •
Fiona Watson, political affairs officer
Sports •
Jock Clear, Formula One engineer •
Luke Crosbie,
Scotland national rugby union team player •
Joe Hendry, Scottish
professional wrestler •
Lee Jones,
Scotland national rugby union team player •
Shirley Robertson, TV presenter and double Olympic gold medallist •
Jack Ross, British professional footballer •
Gordon Shedden, British
auto racing driver •
Kirsty Smith, Scottish soccer player for the
Scotland women's national football team and
West Ham United F.C. Women. == Notable staff ==