William Adam (1689 – 24 June 1748) was a Scottish architect,
mason, and entrepreneur. He was the foremost architect of his time in Scotland, designing and building numerous country houses and public buildings, and often acting as
contractor as well as architect. Among his best known works are
Hopetoun House near Edinburgh, and
Duff House in
Banff. His individual, exuberant style built on the
Palladian style, but with
Baroque details inspired by
Vanbrugh and Continental architecture.