Initially an Elite Development player at Edinburgh Rugby and following a stint in New Zealand as part of the John Macphail Scholarship, he made his first senior appearance in a 34–13 win over Cardiff Blues in September 2011.

[2] In August 2016, Edinburgh Rugby named him and Stuart McInally as their co-captains for the coming season.

[4] Vern Cotter selected him for the 2014 Scotland rugby union tour of the Americas and South Africa.

He captained Scotland for the first time on 20 June 2014 against Argentina,[5] having scored his first international try against Canada the previous week.

[6] Gilchrist was named as captain for Scotland's 2014 Autumn Test campaign, but was forced to withdraw the same week of that announcement when he broke his arm while playing for Edinburgh against Lyon.