He is a political commentator for several newspapers, an author and documentary film and radio presenter and a former Rector of Edinburgh University.

Macwhirter writes weekly columns for The Herald, The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday, all morning papers.

He returned to Scotland to help launch the Sunday Herald in 1999, and has presented the Scottish Parliament magazine programme Holyrood Live.

Macwhirter's columns were suspended by The Herald in September 2022, after allegations he posted an offensive tweet about members of Liz Truss's cabinet.

[6] Macwhirter announced that he was standing for Rector of the University of Edinburgh on 12 January 2009,[7] and was backed by George Galloway following the latter's withdrawal as a candidate for the post.