David MacGibbon was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 2 April 1831 and was the son of Charles MacGibbon. After studying at Edinburgh University from 1846 to 1849 he was articled to John Lessels (1809-1883) in Edinburgh from 1849 to 1851. He then worked as an assistant to William Burn (1789-1870) in his London office from 1851 to 1855.
MacGibbon commenced practice as an architect in Edinburgh in 1856. Initially he worked with his father at his office at his office in Edinburgh, but in 1858 he set up his own independent practice in Edinburgh. He was appointed architect to the National Bank of Scotland and the Edinburgh Merchant Company.
In 1862 he took Thomas Ross (1839-1930) as his assistant and in 1872 they formed a partnership. They remained in partnership until MacGibbon's death 30 years later.
In 1880 MacGibbon was elected President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association. With Thomas Ross he was the co-author of two important historical surveys of Scottish Architecture: The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland from the twelfth to the eighteenth centuries, 5 vols. (1887–92), and he Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century, 3 vols. (1896–97)
MacGibbon died in Edinburgh on 20 February 1902
See Dictionary of Scottish Architects 1660-1980; and Historic Environment Scotland [links below]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
'Obituary'. The British Architect 28 February 1902 p. 146
'Obituary'. The Builder vol. 82, 8 March 1902 p. 244
Walker, David. ‘The Architecture of MacGibbon & Ross: The Background to the Books’ in Studies in Scottish Antiquity, edited by David Breeze. Edinburgh: John Donald, 1984 pp. 391-449