An Edinburgh man through and through, Grant Gilchrist came through the ranks at Alloa RFC and Stirling County, and represented Scotland at U18, U19 and U20 level.

A former Murrayfield ball boy and MacPhail scholar, he made his debut for the club against Cardiff Blues in September 2011, becoming Edinburgh player #1143. He has been a stalwart of the capital side ever since.

Gilchrist made 23 appearances in his debut season and was a key man as Edinburgh became the first Scottish club to reach the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup in 2012.

He made his Scotland debut against France in Paris in the final game of the 2013 RBS Six Nations, and went on to feature at the 2015, 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups.

The second-row made his 50th Edinburgh appearance against the Dragons in 2013 and his 100th against the same opponents in 2017.

Gregor Townsend named him Scotland captain for the 2018 summer tour opener against Canada, and he has led his country on several occasions since. At club level he has been a constant in Edinburgh’s leadership group, captaining or co-captaining the side across multiple seasons.

He confirmed his status as a club legend when he became Edinburgh’s fourth double-centurion, against the Hollywoodbets Sharks in the EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final in April 2024.

The following season he scored his first tries since 2017/18, with back-to-back scores against the Emirates Lions and DHL Stormers, and started three of Scotland’s 2024 Autumn Nations Series Tests.

In March 2026, Gilchrist won his 88th Scotland cap against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium, breaking Scott Murray’s record to become Scotland’s most-capped lock of all time.

Weeks later he made his 231st Edinburgh appearance, moving second on the club’s all-time list behind Allan Jacobsen.

He then signed a one-year extension for a 16th season with his boyhood club, taking him up to Rugby World Cup 2027.