The philosopher and historian Adam Ferguson was born at Logierait, Perthshire, on 20 June 1723. He was educated at home, locally in Logierait, and in Perth. He studied at St. Andrews University, taking his M.A. in July 1742. Studies in divinity followed, first at St. Andrews, then at Edinburgh University. An army career followed, and then he embarked on a literary career. Briefly Ferguson held the post of Librarian at the Advocates' Library in succession to David Hume (1711-1776). In 1759 he was appointed as Professor of Natural Philosophy at Edinburgh University, and in 1764 to the Chair of the now obsolete Pneumatics and Moral Philosophy. In 1778, he was appointed as Secretary to the Commissioners to the American Colonies. Ferguson retired from the Chair of Moral Philosophy in 1785, but so that he could still draw a salary he was appointed to the Chair of Mathematics. Professor Adam Ferguson died at St. Andrews on 22 February 1816.

John Home (1722-1808), a close friend of Ferguson, was a Scottish minister, writer and playwright, and graduate of Edinburgh University, 1742. His first play, Agis: a tragedy, founded on Plutarch's narrative, was finished in 1747. His tragedy of Douglas was first performed in 1756 in Edinburgh. Other works were his tragedy The Siege of Aquileia (1760), the tragedy The Fatal Discovery (1769), Alonzo (1773), and Alfred (1778).