John Purser (born 1942) is a Scottish composer, musicologist, and music historian.

He initiated the reconstruction that commenced in 1991 of the Iron Age Deskford Carnyx, producing a replica that was first played in 1993 by trombonist John Kenny.

It was followed by a thirty-programme radio series of the same title, written and presented by him, which was broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland and totalled 45 hours, with recordings commissioned for the series including reconstructions of early music and works by many little-known composers.

A double CD was subsequently produced with a small selection of the music.

[1] He also wrote Parrots and Owls about John Ruskin and the O'Shea brothers.