James Beattie (1735-1803) was a Scottish academic and writer.

He was born at Laurencekirk in Kincardineshire. In 1760, he was appointed a professor of logic at Aberdeen. His first published poetic work, The Judgment of Paris (1765) was eclipsed by his Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth, which marked him out as an opponent of David Hume. In 1771, The Minstrel became a best-seller, winning him the praise of Samuel Johnson.