William MacGillivray

Aberdeen, Scotland, 1796 - 1852

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About MeOrnithologist

William MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen, and at the age of three moved to his uncle’s farm on the Isle of Harris, following the death of his father. When he was 16, William took up a place at King’s College, Aberdeen, walking to and from Harris each term. A round trip of some 580km, these walks fuelled his growing love of the natural world and his passion for birds.

In 1819 William decided to visit the bird collection in London’s British Museum. Once again he set off on foot, walking over 1,300km. He kept a journal of his trip, recording the birds he saw along the way. Moving to Edinburgh, William began publishing profusely, his works ranging from scientific papers to books on botany.

In 1830 he met the celebrated French ornithologist, John James Audubon. The pair became lifelong friends and William wrote the text to accompany Audubon’s exquisite illustrations for his bird books. In 1841 William returned to Aberdeen to take up a professorship of Natural History at Marischal College.
Additional InfoImage Attribution: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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