Chris, who also played for Boroughmuir, The Borders, Perpignan, Sale Sharks and the Briish & Irish Lions, will take up a new career building an alcohol retail business based in Los Angeles - specialising in craft beer, fine wine and craft spirits with a big focus on Scotch whisky.
Chris said: "Playing for Scotland 70 times was more than I could have dreamed of growing up learning how to play rugby at Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen.
"The memories of playing for Scotland and touring NZ with the British and Irish Lions will be with me forever and I am grateful for all the incredible experiences I have been afforded through rugby. Highlights have included Winning the BT Premiership with Boroughmuir in 2003, winning the Top 14 title with Perpignan in 2009 and reaching the final of the Pro12 with Glasgow Warriors in 2014.
"Some of the greatest times of my life have been spent with team mates in the changing rooms after great victories and I know that it will be difficult to replace those kinds of feelings. I’m looking forward to the challenge however. I have always been aware of the finite nature of a career in professional rugby, particularly given some of the injuries I picked up, and this is the right time to hang up my boots and move onto the next challenge. Now is the time for me to move forward, to something I have been working on alongside my rugby career."