James Grant was a Scottish novelist and miscellaneous writer.

Grant was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was a distant relation of Sir Walter Scott. He was a prolific author, writing some 90 books, including many yellow-backs. Titles included Adventures of an Aide-de-camp, One of "The six hundred", The Scottish musketeers and The Scottish cavalier.

Many of his 56 novels are about important characters and events in Scottish history. In 1853 he founded the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights. Grant is known today as an historian, primarily because of his thoroughly-researched six-volume Old And New Edinburgh, published in 1880 by Cassell.