Christopher Douglas Paterson, MBE (born 30 March 1978) is an ambassador and specialist coach for the Scotland and Edinburgh rugby union teams.

During Scotland's opening 2003 Rugby World Cup game Paterson scored two tries and kicked a conversion and a penalty during a 32–11 win against Japan.

Paterson played in the subsequent win and loss against Fiji and France to help Scotland qualify for the quarter final stage.

Two weeks later on 27 November 2004 against South Africa he became the youngest, and lightest, Scottish player ever to earn 50 caps, aged 26, and weighing in at 78 kg.

On 26 February 2005, Paterson equalled the scoring record set by Gavin Hastings for one game of six penalties converted in the 18–13 win over Italy.

As a result of his incredibly reliable kicking and elusive running from full-back during the 2005 Six Nations Championship, especially in the Calcutta Cup game, Paterson's omission from Clive Woodward's squad for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand surprised many critics and fans alike.

Paterson played as part of a resurgent Scotland team of the 2006 Six Nations Championship who recorded wins over France, England and Italy to finish third in the table.

Similarly, with the previous two in 1999 & 2003 Scotland exited in the quarter final stage losing 19–13 to Argentina at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis.

[12] On 9 February 2008, Paterson earned his 83rd cap for Scotland against Wales, passing the record of Gregor Townsend for a Scottish back.

[13] On Saturday 13 February 2010 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Paterson became the first player to reach 100 caps for Scotland when he played in the defeat against Wales.

[16] Later that year on Saturday 20 November 2010 Paterson gained his 101st cap in a 21–17 win against current world champions, South Africa, at Murrayfield coming on for the final 8 minutes.

[29] In Scotland's third pool game in the 13–12 defeat against Argentina Paterson equalled Doddie Weir's record of 14 appearances scoring a penalty.

[30] In what transpired to be Chris Paterson's 109th and final appearance in the ultimate game of Pool B against England in Auckland, Scotland required victory to progress to the quarter-final stage.

The game finished 16–12 in England's favour with Chris Ashton scoring a last minute try to knock Scotland out at the pool stage for the first time.

Paterson announced his retirement from international rugby in December 2011; at the time, he held many of the most significant Scottish career records.

[33] In addition, he has the most caps of any player from the Home Unions (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales) who did not appear in a Test with the British & Irish Lions.

Paterson successfully kicked 36 consecutive goals for Scotland between 11 August 2007 and 7 June 2008, not missing a single attempt during the 2007 Rugby World Cup or the 2008 Six Nations Championship.

[38] MacSween Haggis used him to front a new product range[39] Paterson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to Scottish rugby.