Patrick Neill

Who was Patrick Neill?

Patrick Neill FRSE FSA FLS MWS was a Scottish printer and horticulturalist, known as a naturalist. A founding member, and the first secretary, of both the Wernerian Natural History Society and the Caledonian Horticultural Society, he is mainly remembered today for having endowed the Neill Medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Neill' works include A Tour Through Some of the Islands of Orkney and Shetland, which caused much public debate at the time, due to its descriptions of the economic misery of the islanders. He also authored the Gardening article in the seventh edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. This article was subsequently expanded and published as a separate book under the title of The Fruit, Flower, and Kitchen Garden, which was very popular and ran through several editions.

When the Nor Loch was drained in 1820, Neill was commissioned to plan the scheme of planting of 5 acres of land, which is now West Princes Street Gardens. This included the planting of 77,000 trees and shrubs.

The rosaceous genus Neillia is named after Neill.