Ninian Imrie
{{Short description|Scottish army officer and geologist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
Lieutenant-Colonel Ninian Imrie of Denmuir {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRSE}} (died 1820) was a Scottish army officer and geologist. He gave the first wholly geological description of the Rock of Gibraltar.{{cite journal|url=http://earthscienceshistory.org/doi/abs/10.17704/eshi.32.2.y46w1v7758755766|title=British pioneers of the geology of Gibraltar, Part 1: the artilleryman Thomas James (ca 1720-1782); infantryman Ninian Imrie of Denmuir (ca 1752-1820); and ex-militiaman James Smith of Jordanhill (1782-1867)|journal=Earth Sciences History|year=2013 |doi=10.17704/eshi.32.2.y46w1v7758755766 |accessdate=9 April 2018|last1=Rose |first1=Edward |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=252–278 |bibcode=2013ESHis..32..252R }} He stirred the Plutonist versus Neptunist debate during the Scottish Enlightenment.Geology and Warfare: Rose & Nathanail
{{Infobox person
| name = Ninian Imrie
| citizenship = Scottish
| occupation = Geologist
}}
Early life
His family owned an estate known as Denmuir, near Abdie in Fife. He is thought to be born around 1750.
He was commissioned as an Ensign in 1768, the commission being purchased by a Stephen Gually.Gentlemans Magazine vol.38 He became Lieutenant in 1772 and Captain in 1777.Royal Military Calendar Imrie served in the Second Regiment of Foot (later renamed the Royal Scots) in Gibraltar from 1784 to 1793. Here he rose to be Aide-de-Camp for Lt General John Gordon Cuming Skene. During this period he is known to have corresponded with James Hutton in Edinburgh.Some Geological Correspondence of James Hutton, Eyles & Eyles He was promoted to Lt Colonel in 1798. In the same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were John Walker, Alexander Keith and John Playfair.{{cite book|title=Biographical index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf}}
He retired on half pay in 1799. He was living permanently in Edinburgh from around 1805 at 63 Queen Street.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1805–06
He died at 63 Queen Street in Edinburgh’s First New Town on 13 November 1820.
Publications
- The Geology of the Rock of Gibraltar (1798){{Cite journal |last=Rose |first=Edward P. F. |date=2013-10-01 |title=BRITISH PIONEERS OF THE GEOLOGY OF GIBRALTAR, PART 1: THE ARTILLERYMAN THOMAS JAMES (ca 1720–1782); INFANTRYMAN NINIAN IMRIE OF DENMUIR (ca 1752–1820); and EX-MILITIAMAN JAMES SMITH OF JORDANHILL (1782–1867) |url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/hess/earth-sciences-history/article-abstract/32/2/252/614511/BRITISH-PIONEERS-OF-THE-GEOLOGY-OF-GIBRALTAR-PART?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=Earth Sciences History |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=252–278 |doi=10.17704/eshi.32.2.y46w1v7758755766 |bibcode=2013ESHis..32..252R |issn=0736-623X}}
- A Catalogue of Specimens Illustrative of the Geology of Greece (1817){{cite web | url=https://mineralogicalrecord.com/new_biobibliography/imrie-ninian/ | title=Imrie Ninian }}