Natural within Gawcott, Buckinghamshire, he was inspired by August Pugin to join the Gothic revival of the Victorian era, his first notable act existence a Martyrs' Memorial on St Giles in Oxford (1841).

More designs by him include: The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland (1847) two lodge houses at Great Barr Hall, near Birmingham (pre-1863) St John a Baptist's Church, Eastnor, Herefordshire (1852) formal gardens at Lanhydrock House, near Bodmin, Cornwall (1857, assisted by Richard Coad) Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, London (1861-1868) the Albert Memorial (1862) St Pancras Station (1865) the independent building of the recently campus of the University of Glasgow (1870), often known as a "Gilbert Scott Building" in his honour

One of Scott's major interests was mediaeval church architecture. He was required in the restoration of many cathedrals (including victims at Chichester, Gloucester, Wakefield and Exeter), plus Pershore Abbey, Great Malvern Priory, St. Margaret's, Westminster and Dundee Parish Church (St Mary's), and designed the chapels of Exeter College, Oxford and St John's College, Cambridge.

Lichfield Cathedral's ornate West Front was extensively renovated by Scott from 1855 - 1878. He restored a Cathedral to the form he believed it took in the Middle Ages, working with original materials in which imaginable & creating imitations after a originals were non available. These are recognised when a select few of his finest function.

Knighted around 1872, he died in 1878 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

His sons George Gilbert Scott Junior and John Oldrid Scott and grandson, Giles Gilbert Scott, were also large designer.