Editing James Hutton (section)

===Edinburgh and canal building===
In 1768, Hutton returned to Edinburgh, letting his farms to tenants but continuing to take an interest in farm improvements and research which included experiments carried out at ''Slighhouses''. He developed a red dye made from the roots of the [[Rubia|madder]] plant.<ref name=ag5>{{cite web |url=http://www.james-hutton.org.uk/One/Agronomy/05.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908110326/http://www.james-hutton.org.uk/One/Agronomy/05.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 September 2012 |title=Return to Edinburgh |access-date=11 April 2008 |publisher=James Hutton.org.uk }}</ref>

He had a house built in 1770 at St John's Hill, Edinburgh, overlooking [[Salisbury Crags]]. This later became the Balfour family home and, in 1840, the birthplace of the psychiatrist [[James Crichton-Browne]]. Hutton was one of the most influential participants in the [[Scottish Enlightenment]], and fell in with numerous first-class minds in the sciences including mathematician [[John Playfair]], philosopher [[David Hume]] and economist [[Adam Smith]].<ref name=soc1>{{cite web |url=http://www.james-hutton.org.uk/One/SocialContext/Frameset.htm |title=Hutton's Contemporaries and The Scottish Enlightenment |access-date=3 August 2019 |publisher=James Hutton.org.uk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726201921/http://www.james-hutton.org/One/SocialContext/Frameset.htm|archive-date=26 July 2011 }}</ref> Hutton held no position in the University of Edinburgh  and communicated his scientific findings through the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. He was particularly friendly with physician and chemist [[Joseph Black]], and together with Adam Smith they founded the ''Oyster Club'' for weekly meetings.

Between 1767 and 1774 Hutton had close involvement with the construction of the [[Forth and Clyde canal]], making full use of his geological knowledge, both as a shareholder and as a member of the committee of management, and attended meetings including extended site inspections of all the works. At this time he is listed as living on Bernard Street in [[Leith]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/archive/83036831|title=Williamson's directory for the City of Edinburgh, Canongate, Leith and suburbs|date=1773–1774|website=[[National Library of Scotland]]|page=36|access-date=2 December 2017}}</ref> In 1777 he published a pamphlet on ''Considerations on the Nature, Quality and Distinctions of Coal and Culm'' which successfully helped to obtain relief from excise duty on carrying small coal.<ref name=ent2>{{cite web |url=http://www.james-hutton.org.uk/One/Entrepreneur/02.htm |title=The Forth and Clyde Canal |access-date=3 August 2019 |publisher=James Hutton.org.uk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726202004/http://www.james-hutton.org/One/Entrepreneur/02.htm|archive-date=26 July 2011 }}</ref>

In 1783, he was a joint founder of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|access-date=21 November 2016|archive-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>