Events from the year 1824 in Scotland.

• 19 April – brigantine Helen of Dundee, bound for Quebec, founders on what becomes known as Helen's Reef off Rockall with fatalities.
• 17 May – the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway is authorised; construction begins the following month.^[1]
• 24 May – the foundation stone for an oil-gas works at Tanfield in Edinburgh is laid by Sir Walter Scott as company chairman.^[2]
• October – Edinburgh Academy, built to the design of William Burn, opens.
• 10 October – Edinburgh Town Council makes a decision to found a municipal fire brigade under James Braidwood, the first in Britain.^[3]
• 15–21 November – Great Fire of Edinburgh, starting in Old Assembly Close, kills 11 residents and 2 firemen, and destroys 24 tenements – leaving 400 families homeless – and other properties, including the spire of Tron Kirk.
• Blairquhan Castle near Maybole, rebuilt to the design of William Burn for Sir David Hunter-Blair, 3rd Baronet, is completed.
• Speyside Scotch whisky distilleries established: Balmenach, Glenlivet and Macallan. Also, Cameron Bridge distillery is established by Haig.
• The Foot-Ball Club is established in Edinburgh, one of the earliest known clubs organised to play any kind of football.^[4]
• The Northern Yacht Club, a predecessor of the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club, is established in Rothesay.^[5]
• The Perth Golfing Society is formed.

• 24 February – John Dick Peddie, architect (died 1891)
• 8 March – John Elder, marine engineer (died 1869 in London)
• 21 March – James Samuel, railway engineer (died 1874 in London)
• 4 July – Robert B. Lindsay, Governor of Alabama (died 1902 in the United States)
• 21 October – John Ritchie Findlay, newspaper owner and philanthropist (died 1898)
• 10 December – George MacDonald, writer, poet and Christian minister (died 1905 in England)
• 17 December – John Kerr, physicist (died 1907)
• George Campbell, administrator in British India and Liberal politician (died 1892 in Cairo)

• 12 January – Walter Oudney, physician and explorer (born 1790; died in Africa)
• 15 January – Francis Dundas, British Army general and governor of Cape Colony (born c.1759)
• 17 January – James Brodie of Brodie, botanist, clan chief and politician (born 1744)
• 31 March – Andrew Fyfe, anatomist (born 1754)
• 15 May – Alexander Campbell, musician and writer (born 1764)
• 19 December – Charles Smith, painter (born 1749)
• Approximate date – John Gunn, musician (born c.1765)

• Thomas Campbell's Miscellaneous Poems is published.^[6]
• James Hogg's novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner is published anonymously.
• William Knox's poetry collection Songs of Israel is published.
• Sir Walter Scott's novel Redgauntlet is published anonymously.
• Edwin Landseer visits Scotland for the first time to paint a portrait of Sir Walter Scott; he will return annually, concentrating on animal portraits.^[7]

• 1824 in Ireland