List of principals of the University of Aberdeen

Principal of the University of Aberdeen
Incumbent
Professor Pete Edwards
since 1 November 2025
Member ofGeneral Council
University Court
Senatus Academicus
AppointerAppointed by the University Court
Constituting instrumentUniversities (Scotland) Act 1858
First holderReverend Peter Colin Campbell (University of Aberdeen)
Hector Boece (King's College)
Robert Howie (Marischal College)
Websitewww.abdn.ac.uk/about/management/smt/

The principal of the University of Aberdeen is the working administrative head of the university, acting as its chief executive. He is responsible for the overall running of the university, presiding over the main academic body of the university, the Senatus Academicus.[1] The principal is normally also created Vice-Chancellor of the university, enabling him to perform the functions reserved to the Chancellor in the latter's absence, such as the awarding of degrees.

History

Hector Boece, the first Principal of King's College, Aberdeen, installed in 1500

The present office of principal dates to 1858 with the passage of the Universities (Scotland) Act 1858.[2] The position was created with the amalgamation of the two existing ancient universities in Aberdeen, King's College (est. 1495) and Marischal College (est. 1593) in 1860, which had previously appointed their own individual principals.[3] The installation is presided by the Chancellor of the university.[4]

Professor Pete Edwards succeeded George Boyne as principal on 1 November 2025.[5]

List of principals of the University of Aberdeen

List of principals
No. Principal Term of office Notes
1 Peter Colin Campbell 1865–1876 First principal of the newly merged university, died in post
2 William Robinson Pirie 1876–1885 Died in post
3 Sir William Duguid Geddes 1885–1900 Died in post
4 John Marshall Lang 1900–1909 Died in post
5 Sir George Adam Smith 1909–1935
6 Sir William Hamilton Fyfe 1936–1948
7 Sir Thomas Murray Taylor 1948–1962 Died in post
8 Sir Edward Maitland Wright 1962–1976
9 Sir Fraser Noble 1976–1981
10 George Paul McNicol 1981–1991
11 Maxwell Irvine 1991–1996
12 Sir Duncan Rice 1996–2010
13 Sir Ian Diamond 2010–2018
14 George Boyne 2018–2025
15 Peter Edwards 2025–present

List of principals of former constituent colleges

Principals of King's College, Aberdeen

List of principals
No. Principal Term of office Notes
1 Hector Boece 1500–1534
2 Alexander Anderson <1561–1569 Principal from at least 1561, deposed in 1569[6]
3 Alexander Arbuthnot 1569–1583 Died in post
4 Reverend David Rait 1598–1632 Died in post
5 William Leslie 1632–1640 Expelled from post by covenanters.
6 William Guild 1640–1651
7 John Row 1652–1661
8 Alexander Middleton 1662–1679
9 George Middleton 1689–1716
10 George Chalmers 1729–????
11 John Chalmers ????–1800 Held position for 'nearly threescore years',[7] died in post[8]
12 Roderick MacLeod 1800–1815 Previously sub-principal, died in post
13 William Jack 1815–1854 Died in post; subsequently left unfilled due to impending merger

Principals of Marischal College

List of principalsSource:[9]
No. Principal Term of office Notes
1 Robert Howie 1593–1598 Later principal of St Mary's College, St Andrews
2 Gilbert Gray 1598–1614 Died in post
3 David Wedderburn 1614–1615 Possibly, interim
4 Andrew Adie 1616–1620 Forced to resign by town council
5 William Forbes 1620–1621 Later the first Bishop of Edinburgh
6 Patrick Dun 1621–1649 Resigned
7 William Moir 1649–1661 Resigned
8 James Leslie 1661–1678 Died in post
9 Robert Paterson 1678–1717 Dismissed due to Jacobite sympathies
10 Thomas Blackwell (primus) 1717–1728 Father of secundus, died in post
11 John Osborne 1728–1748 Died in post
12 Thomas Blackwell (secundus) 1748–1757 Son of primus, died in post
13 Robert Pollock 1757–1759 Died in post
14 George Campbell 1759–1795 Retired in 1795, died following year
15 William Laurence Brown 1796–1830 Died in post
16 Daniel Dewar 1832–1860 Final principal of Marischal College before it merged with King's College, subsequently retired

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Statement of Primary Responsibilities of Court" (PDF). University of Aberdeen. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Universities (Scotland) Act 1858", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1858 c. 83
  3. ↑ "The fusion of King's College and Marischal College". University of Aberdeen. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Duchess of Cornwall congratulates new principal of University of Aberdeen". HeraldScotland. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  5. ↑ "New University of Aberdeen principal to start role early". BBC News. 13 October 2025.
  6. ↑ "Scottish Education - Schools and University". www.electricscotland.com. Archived from the original on 2026-01-13. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  7. ↑ Kay's Originals, Vol. 1. p. 78.
  8. ↑ "John Chalmers - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  9. ↑ Officers of the Marischal College and University of Aberdeen, 1593-1860. Aberdeen University Press. 1897. pp. 27–30.
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