Art

The Academy has always combined high academic standards, including many Open Awards at Oxford and Cambridge over the years, with a proper enthusiasm for Music and the Arts. The artist Francis "Bunty" Cadell was a nineteenth century pupil. Craigie Aitchison, Denis Peploe, Gordon Bryce and the ornithologist and painter Donald Watson are artists who earned distinction in the twentieth century, whilst recent leaver Gordon Anderson achieved his first solo art exhibition at the unusually early age of twenty. Jamie Primrose is another artist whose work is seen as very collectable and has had several exhibitions in Edinburgh.

Science

The brilliant mathematician and physicist James Clerk Maxwell, whose work paved the way for that of Einstein, and Dr Joseph Bell, now recognised as the model for Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, were pupils of The Academy in the 19th century. John Scott Haldane contributed immensely to the science of physiology. Gustav Born is a distinguished medical researcher. Three heads of Oxbridge Colleges in recent years have been Academicals and the list of distinguished professors is long

Literature & Media

Amongst The Edinburgh Academy's notable writers, the name of Robert Louis Stevenson inevitably stands out. The fame of his novels Treasure Island (1883), Kidnapped (1886), and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) is world wide.

Novelist RM Ballantyne was another nineteenth century pupils, and modern novelists include David Caute and J I M Stewart ("Michael Innes").

Actor Bruce Seton gained TV fame in the 1950's as "Fabian of the Yard."

Other well known names include the authors / TV presenters Alan Melville, Magnus Magnusson and Gordon Honeycombe, former BBC reporter and now King's Fund Chief Executive Niall Dickson, radio presenters Charles Runcie and Allan Robb, writer Ninian Dunnett, TV journalist Nicky Campbell and actor Jamie Newall.

Sport

The world's oldest inter-school rugby fixture is that between the Academy and Merchiston Castle School. In 2008 Ross Rennie (91-04) made his debut for Scotland, becoming the 103rd former Academy pupil to be capped for the home nations. In 2004 Tom Philip became the one hundredth Academical to play international rugby, joining other recent graduates of the Academy XV: Mike Blair, Stuart Moffat, Barry Stewart and Donnie MacFaddyen. Mike Blair is the fourth Academical to captain Scotland since the war, his predecessors being Brian Neill, John McPhail and Douglas Elliot.

The school has produced oarsmen, amateur golf champions, distinguished cricketers and, more recently, athletes including triple Olympian David Jenkins and Commonwealth Games medallist Jamie Henderson. Mike Ross, selected at under 18 level, is thought to be the first Academical to play for Scotland at football. James Burns played hockey for Scotland (2001). We also have Olympic skiers - the Blyth brothers (Ross at Lake Placid 1980, Mark at Sarajevo 1984), and an Olympic yachtsman, Iain Woolward (Los Angeles 1984).

The military

Former pupils include nine VC's, dating from the Indian Mutiny to the Second World War. In 1908 the Academy raised one of the earliest school OTC contingents, which was then inspected by R B (later Viscount) Haldane, the Secretary of State for War, who himself was a former pupil. The Academy was the first Scottish School to win the Ashburton Shield at Bisley in 1911. A young historian has produced an interesting project on Academicals in the First World War. Admiral Andrew Cunningham, victor of Taranto and Matapan during the Second World War, was a pupil in the 1890's, as was his brother General Alan Cunningham of the Eighth Army. Admiral Sir Percy Noble commanded Western Approaches during the Battle of the Atlantic. General Sir Roy Bucher was the last commander in chief of the British Indian army. Field Marshall Sir Gerald Templer was Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS). Former First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jock Slater is chairman of the trustees of the Imperial War Museum and of the RNLI.

Exploration

Exploring, mountaineering and field studies have a long tradition within the school; former pupils include John Irvine who was with Franklin on the ill-fated North West Passage expedition of 1845. Lord Francis Douglas, whose party was joined by Whymper for the first ascent of the Matterhorn, tragically fell to his death on the descent.

Captain Francis Cadell who opened up the Murray River in Australia for commerce, and Frederick Bailey, after whom the Tibetan Blue Poppy is named, are two more notable explorers.

In 1969, the Academy acquired its own Field Centre - Blair House at Glen Doll in Perthshire. Chris Tiso keeps up the mountain climbing tradition today.

The Professions

The law has been graced by more than one Lord Justice-General of Scotland, Lord Advocate Cameron of Lochbroom and three Lord Chancellors including most recently Lord Falconer. Lord Clyde is the Justice Oversight Commissioner for Northern Ireland. Sir William Smith was London Police Commissioner at the time of the Whitechapel murders.

Sir Robert Lorimer was one of Scotland's most distinguished architects. Alan Stewart designed the Forth Bridge.

Diplomacy has received from the Academy a number of Ambassadors and High Commissioners. Sir Ninian Stephen was Governor General of Australia.

During the war Tam Dalyell MP, original proponent of the West Lothian Question, was a pupil. Mike Pringle MSP was elected to Holyrood in 2003 as a Liberal Democrat. Robin Blair was Scotland's Lord Lyon King of Arms until December 2007. Robin's three predecessors were also Academicals. They were: Sir Thomas Innes of Learney (1906-10) from 1945 to 1969, Sir James Monteith Grant (10-21) from 1969 to 1981, and Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight (51-56) from 1981 to 2001.

Business

Prominent businessmen include Sir Edward Harland, founder of shipbuilders Harland and Wolff, and ship owner Noel Salvesen who presented the original Denham Green House to the Academy in 1945. Former President of the CBI Lord Vallance was a pupil, as was chief executive of Standard Life Private Equity Jonny Maxwell and former chairman of Scottish and Newcastle International Division Alastair Mowat. Sir Kenneth Hutchison is regarded as the father of the modern gas industry. Nicholas Kuenssberg has served as chairman of various companies, whilst Lord Laing was described by the FT as "loved by his workforce, hated by the City." Arthur Mbanefo is a managing director of Credit Suisse First Boston. Graeme Crombie was MD of Shell UK and chairman of CalMac. Joe Barber is a noted "company doctor." Robert Cowan and Sir Andrew Gilchrist both served as chairman of the Highlands and Islands Development Board. David Miller as well as a prominent business career chaired ScotVec, the SEB and SQA. Bruce Patullo was Governor of the Bank of Scotland. Lord (Dennis) Stevenson is chairman of HBOS and The House of Lords Appointments Commission. He also chaired Pearson plc. Perhaps our most "out of this world" businessman is William Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic and responsible for the development of space tourism.

Music

George Cathcart founded the promenade concerts. Roy Williamson of The Corries, composer of the Scottish anthem "Flower of Scotland" was a wartime pupil, and "Paul Jones", lead singer of the group Manfred Mann was a pupil in the fifties. John D Burgess was a phenomenon in the world of piping. Phil Bancroft is today one of the leading figures on the flourishing Scottish jazz scene, whilst brother Tom runs Caber Music. Jonathan Pitkin has been selected by the Society for the Promotion of New Music as a sponsored young composer. Moray Nairn has musically directed several Edinburgh shows. Guy Berryman, bass guitarist with Coldplay, was at The Academy for 3 years before his family moved down to Kent.

The Clergy

Among well-known former pupils are several Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, including recently Iain Torrance, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, Archibald Campbell Tait. Kenneth Stevenson is the current Bishop of Portsmouth.