JOHN, the youngest, bapt. Rothes 23 May 1736, appears in Edinburgh in 1762, when on 2 Feb. he married Christian Noble, daughter of William Noble mason in Penicuik. The marriage entry describes him as “stablers servant” but in all the entries relating to the baptism of his children he is called “vintner”. John’s connection with Rothes is established by two entries in the Edinburgh Registers. A witness to the baptism of his son James on 2nd Feb. 1765 was his eldest brother James (it was custom for the sponsors to be of the same christian name as the child, described as “salmon fisher at Spey.” The Rothes registers show that James lived at Coble-pot of Airndilly, on the Spey opposite Rothes. The second entry is that of the marriage of his sister Margaret to William Stables in 1769, where she is called “daughter of the late Charles Dumbreck miller in Rothes.” It is a likely assumption that John left Rothes on his father’s death and took his young sister Margaret with him.

John became a very successful vintner and Innkeeper and figured prominently in Edinburgh when the New Town was being built. In 1773 he owned the Kingís Head at the end of New Bridge (the first North Bridge) and in 1779 also purchased the White Horse Inn at the Cowgate Port. While proprietor of the White Horse John developed the coaching business belonging to it. In March 1781, under the heading "In 4 days to London during the Summer" he advertised that "The Edinburgh and London Fly would on Monday 2nd April set out from the White Horse at 2 oíclock in the morning precisely and continue to do so every lawful day". He also ran the Edinburgh and Aberdeen Fly, stage coach to Kelso and several coaches to Leith. In 1780 John also owned the Whale Inn at Newhaven. In 1790 he took over Dunís Hotel at 39, St. Andrew Square in the New Town and disposed of the White Horse. He was regarded by his contemporaries as a man of advanced ideas who had greatly improved the hotel standards of the time.
John had six sons and three daughters by Christian Noble: William, James (d. in infancy), Charles, John, Thomas, Robert, Fanny, May and Josepha.