John Mactaggart (26 June 1791 – 8 January 1830) was a Scottish writer and engineer born near Plunton Castle in the parish of Borgue.
He is best known for writing The Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia, a wide-ranging and idiosyncratic reference work covering local words, places, traditions, and songs collected in and around Galloway.
In addition to his work on the canal project he wrote several newspaper articles and was elected to the Natural History Society of Montreal.
He was subsequently dismissed for "being drunk on duty" and returned from Canada to England in later that year.
[1] Mactagggart died on 8 January 1830 at Torrs, Kirkcudbrightshire and is buried in Senwick kirkyard in Borgue.