The 22-year-old Glasgow Warriors forward, who scored the match-winning try against Samoa on debut when he was introduced off the bench on the summer tour in the baking South Pacific heat, replaces the injured Alasdair Strokosch in the Scotland back-row.
A product of Douglas Academy in Milngavie and the West of Scotland club, Harley has played age-grade rugby for Scotland, being a mainstay of the Scotland U20 team in 2009 and 2010 and has also represented Scotland A. He has already undertaken captaincy duties with Glasgow Warriors.
The only other change to the starting line-up sees Ross Ford return at hooker in place of Dougie Hall, who sustained a knee injury in the Calcutta Cup match.
The Glasgow hooker and club-mate Pat MacArthur are both bracketed for the substitute role with a decision to be made, pending Dougie’s fitness, later this week.
Scotland interim head coach Scott Johnson said: “I had the pleasure of working with Robert on our tour last summer.
“He’s big and aggressive and he’s been knocking on the door for selection for a wee while. He deserves this chance as a reward for his club form.
“Italy’s victory against France in Rome was well-deserved and certainly didn’t surprise us. It will be a true Test match this weekend and it would be great to have a big vocal Murrayfield crowd supporting the boys this weekend.”
Scotland
15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors)
14 Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors)
13 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors)
12 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby)
11 Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby)
10 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors)
9 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby
1 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors) vice captain
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby)
3 Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors)
4 Richie Gray (Sale Sharks)
5 Jim Hamilton (Gloucester)
6 Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors)
7 Kelly Brown (Saracens) captain
8 Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier)
Substitutes
16 Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors)or Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors)
17 Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors)
18 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby)
19 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors)
20 David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby)
21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors)
22 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors)
23 Max Evans (Castres)
Not considered due to injury: Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Peter Horne, Chris Cusiter, and Chris Fusaro (all Glasgow Warriors), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh Rugby) and Scott Lawson (London Irish).
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa). Assistant referees: John Lacey (Ireland) and Leighton Hodges (Wales). TMO: Marshall Kilgore (Ireland)