James Jardine was a Scottish civil engineer, mathematician and geologist. He was the first person to determine mean sea level.

He was born in Applegarth

Applegarth

-People:*Adam Applegarth , the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Rock bank*Mark Applegarth, a professional rugby league footballer*Robert Applegarth , a prominent British trade unionist...

, Dumfriesshire

Dumfriesshire

Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...

, on 30 November 1776, the son of a farmer. He was educated at Dumfries Academy

Dumfries Academy

Dumfries Academy is one of four secondary schools in the town of Dumfries in South West Scotland.-History:Dumfries Academy has existed in its present form, though not in the buildings it currently occupies, since 1804...

 and Edinburgh University.

He built tunnels and bridges, including for the Innocent Railway

Innocent Railway

The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway, also called the Innocent Railway, was Edinburgh's first railway. It carried coal from the mines in Lothian to its city centre terminus at St Leonards...

, and built reservoirs including Glencorse

Glencorse Reservoir

Glencorse Reservoir is a reservoir in Midlothian, Scotland, UK, two miles west of Glencorse, in the Pentland Hills.It is retained by an earth dam, and it was built between 1820 and 1824 by James Jardine to provide water for the mills of Auchendinny, Milton Bridge and Glencorse, and to supply...

, Threipmuir

Threipmuir Reservoir

Threipmuir Reservoir is a reservoir in the City of Edinburgh Council area, Scotland, UK. It is situated to the south of Edinburgh in the Pentland Hills, two miles south of Balerno, near Harlaw Reservoir....

, Harlaw

Harlaw Reservoir

Harlaw Reservoir is a small reservoir in the City of Edinburgh Council area, Scotland, UK, situated in the Pentland Hills near Malleny Mills, Balerno and Edinburgh....

 for Edinburgh, and Cobbinshaw

Cobbinshaw Reservoir

Cobbinshaw Reservoir is a reservoir in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is situated near the Pentland Hills, between West Calder and Carnwath. The site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is popular with wildfowl.-History:...

 for the Union Canal

Union Canal (Scotland)

The Union Canal is a 31.5-mile canal in Scotland, from Lochrin Basin, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh to Falkirk, where it meets the Forth and Clyde Canal.-Location and features:...

.