1598 in Scotland

Incumbents

Events

• 5 August – Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart on Islay: the Clan Donald defeats the Clan Maclean, Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean being killed.
• 28 December – Issue in Edinburgh by William Schaw, Master of Work to the Crown of Scotland and General Warden of the master stonemasons, of the First Schaw Statutes, "The Statutis and ordinananceis to be obseruit by all the maister maoissounis within this realme", significant in the development of freemasonry.
• Gentleman Adventurers of Fife awarded forfeited lands on the Isle of Lewis to colonise.
• Raids on Stornoway.
• Publication of
• * James VI's The Trew Law of Free Monarchies.
• * Robert Greene's play The Scottish History of James IV.

  Births

• Elizabeth Bourchier, later Elizabeth Cromwell, Lady Protectress of England, Scotland and Ireland
• John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun, politician and Covenanter
• James Lumsden, soldier
• 7 December – Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Italian architect and sculptor
• 24 December – Margaret Stuart, royal princess
• Approximate date – John Hepburn, soldier of fortune

  Deaths

• August – Alexander Montgomerie, makar and outlaw
• 13 August – David Ferguson, reformer
• 3 September – John Lindsay of Balcarres, Lord Menmuir, Secretary of State
• Mary Beaton, noblewoman