Past presidents

In its history, the Royal Society of Edinburgh has had 47 presidents in total, including the current holder of the office, Sir John Ball, who was elected in 2021. Each President is elected by the RSE Fellowship.

Presidents of the Royal Society of Edinburgh have included:

1.	1783–1812	Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch
2.	1812–1820	Sir James Hall, Bart
3.	1820–1832	Sir Walter Scott
4.	1832–1860	Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane
5.	1860–1864	George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll
6.	1864–1868	Principal Sir David Brewster
7.	1869–1873	Sir Robert Christison
8.	1873–1878	Sir William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin)
9.	1878–1879	Rev Philip Kelland
10.	1879–1884	Lord James Moncreiff of Tullibole
11.	1884–1885	Thomas Stevenson
12.	1886–1890	Principal Sir William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin)
13.	1890–1895	Sir Douglas Maclagan
14.	1895–1907	Lord Kelvin
15.	1908–1913	Principal Sir William Turner
16.	1913–1915	Professor James Geikie
17.	1915–1919	Dr John Horne
18.	1919–1924	Professor Frederick Orpen Bower
19.	1924–1929	Sir Alfred Ewing
20.	1929–1934	Sir Edward Sharpey Schafer
21.	1934–1939	Sir D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson
22.	1939–1944	Professor Sir Edmund Whittaker
23.	1944–1949	Professor Sir William Wright Smith
24.	1949–1954	Professor James Kendall
25.	1954–1958	Professor James Ritchie
26.	1958–1959	Professor J. Norman Davidson
27.	1959–1964	Professor Sir Edmund Hirst
28.	1964–1967	Professor J. Norman Davidson
29.	1967–1970	Professor Norman Feather
30.	1970–1973	Sir Maurice Yonge
31.	1973–1976	The Hon. Lord John Cameron
32.	1976–1979	Professor R. A. Smith
33.	1979–1982	Sir Kenneth Blaxter
34.	1982–1985	Sir John Atwell
35.	1985–1988	Sir Alwyn Williams
36.	1988–1991	Professor Charles Kemball
37.	1991–1993	Professor Sir Alastair Currie
38.	1993–1996	Dr Thomas L. Johnston
39.	1996–1999	Professor Malcolm Jeeves
40.	1999–2002	Sir William Stewart
41.	2002–2005	Lord Stewart Sutherland of Houndwood
42.	2005–2008	Sir Michael Atiyah
43.	2008–2011	Lord David Wilson of Tillyhorn
44.	2011–2014	Sir John Arbuthnott
45.	2014–2018	Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell
46.	2018–2021	Dame Anne Glover
47.	2021–2025	Sir John Ball
48.	2025–present	Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli