Professor Emeritus Sir Tom Devine Kt OBE

University of Edinburgh

Tom Devine is the Sir William Fraser Professor Emeritus of Scottish History and Palaeography in the University of Edinburgh, the oldest and most prestigious Chair in the field. Before Edinburgh he held professorships at Aberdeen and Strathclyde, where he was also Deputy Principal of the University.

Devine has received many awards, prizes and honorary degrees throughout his career including the Royal Medal, Scotland’s supreme academic accolade, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in History and Archives of the UK Parliament (Commons and Lords). He was knighted by the late HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2015 ‘for services to the study of Scottish history', the only scholar ever so honoured for that reason.

The Times has stated that 'Tom Devine is as close to a national bard as the nation has’ while Scottish Field described him ‘the rock star of Caledonian historians’. This, when published last was greeted with unbridled amusement by his wife, Lady Catherine, his children and especially his ten grandchildren.