Magnus Linklater is a Scottish journalist and former newspaper editor. Born in Orkney, the son of Scottish writer Eric Linklater, he studied at Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg and the Sorbonne before taking a degree at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.

Rising through a career in journalism with newspapers including The Daily Express, Observer and Sunday Times, he was editor of The Scotsman from 1988 to 1994, has regularly contributed to The Times, wrote a regular column for Scotland on Sunday and has written a number of books on Scottish history and politics including 'The Falklands War' (1982); 'Not With Honour - The Inside Story of the Westland Scandal'; 'Anatomy of Scotland' (co-Editor, 1992); 'Highland Wilderness' (1993); 'People in a Landscape - The New Highlanders' (1997).

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, was chairman of the Edinburgh Book Festival from 1995-96, chairman of the Scottish Arts Council from 1996-2001 and Patron of the Pitlochry Festival Theatre.