author
Magnus Maclean
1857–1937
A pioneering Scottish engineer and Gaelic scholar, he moved between the laboratory and the lecture hall with unusual ease. Best known for his work alongside Lord Kelvin and for his writing on Celtic literature, he brought science and culture together in a remarkable career.
1 Audiobook
The literature of the Celts
by Magnus Maclean
About the author
Born on Skye in 1857, Magnus Maclean went on to study at the University of Glasgow and built an early career in science and engineering. He worked closely with Lord Kelvin for many years as an assistant in electrical experiments, gaining a reputation as a skilled teacher and researcher.
In 1899 he became Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College, one of the earliest people in Britain to hold that title. His professional life was deeply tied to the growth of electrical engineering, and he was later honored in Glasgow through the Magnus Maclean Memorial Prize.
Maclean was also a committed scholar of Gaelic language and culture. He lectured in Celtic at the University of Glasgow and wrote The Literature of the Celts: Its History and Romance, reflecting a lifelong interest in Scottish Gaelic tradition as well as scientific work.