John Skinner was an 18th-century Scottish clergyman, historian, and poet. Born in Balfour, Aberdeenshire, he studied at Marischal College in Aberdeen before entering the ministry. Although raised within the Presbyterian tradition, he later became an Episcopalian, serving a congregation near Peterhead for sixty-five years. His ministry occurred during a period of significant difficulty for Episcopalians in Scotland, as they faced legal restrictions and social persecution following the Jacobite Rising.