Great Scot! Our Favorite Famous Scottish People

When you think of celebrities with accents, a lot of the time your mind will go straight to England. And why wouldn't it? The great country of Britain has blessed the world with people like Robert Pattinson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, and Keira Knightley. But while many of Hollywood's A-list hail from that part of Europe, there is another small island that comes with huge talent: Scotland. Keep reading to see our favorite wee Scottish stars, from tennis player Andy Murray to actors and actresses like Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton. Then check out their neighbors with our breakdown of the hottest English actors and the best Irish male stars.

Ewan McGregor
Getty

Ewan McGregor

  • Born in: Perth
  • Best known for: His breakthrough role as heroin addict Mark Renton in 1996's Trainspotting. He's also had starring roles in Moulin Rouge, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, and famously Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Tilda Swinton
Getty

Tilda Swinton

  • Born in: London. She is ethnically Scottish, considers herself Scottish rather than English, and currently lives in the Scottish Highlands.
  • Best known for: Her Oscar-winning role as Karen Crowder in 2007's Michael Clayton. She also recently had a hilarious role as Amy Schumer's boss in Trainwreck.
James McAvoy
Getty

James McAvoy

  • Born in: Glasgow
  • Best known for: Being Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
Richard Madden
Getty

Richard Madden

  • Born in: Elderslie
  • Best known for: Making us lust after Robb Stark on Game of Thrones. He also played the prince in 2015's Cinderella.
Craig Ferguson
Getty

Craig Ferguson

  • Born in: Glasgow
  • Best known for: Playing Nigel Wick on The Drew Carey Show and becoming a cult late-night favorite with The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.
Gordon Ramsay
Getty

Gordon Ramsay

  • Born in: Johnstone
  • Best known for: Screaming at people on shows like Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares.
Andy Murray
Getty

Andy Murray

  • Born in: Glasgow
  • Best known for: Playing tennis. He is currently ranked the No. 3 player in the world and has won the 2013 Wimbledon Championships and won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in the men's singles competition.
Sam Heughan
Getty

Sam Heughan

  • Born in: New Galloway
  • Best known for: Getting women into a tizzy by playing Jamie Fraser on Outlander.
Kelly Macdonald
Getty

Kelly Macdonald

  • Born in: Glasgow
  • Best known for: Playing Margaret Thompson in Boardwalk Empire and voicing Princess Merida in Brave.
Robert Carlyle
Getty

Robert Carlyle

  • Born in: Maryhill
  • Best known for: His roles in 1997's The Full Monty, in the 1999 film Angela's Ashes, and as Rumplestiltskin on ABC's hit series Once Upon a Time.
Kevin McKidd
Getty

Kevin McKidd

  • Born in: Elgin
  • Best known for: Portraying Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey's Anatomy.
Peter Capaldi
Getty

Peter Capaldi

  • Born in: Glasgow
  • Best known for: Playing the 12th Doctor in Doctor Who.
Henry Ian Cusick
Getty

Henry Ian Cusick

  • Born in: Trujillo, Peru. He is ethnically half-Scottish and moved to Scotland to go to school when he was 14.
  • Best known for: Being Desmond Hume in Lost.
Gerard Butler
Getty

Gerard Butler

  • Born in: Paisley
  • Best known for: Playing King Leonidas in 300. Oh, and being very, very handsome.