2008 in Scotland

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• First Minister and Keeper of the Great Seal – Alex Salmond
• Secretary of State for Scotland – Des Browne until 3 October; then Jim Murphy

  Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Elish Angiolini
• Solicitor General for Scotland – Frank Mulholland
• Advocate General for Scotland – Lord Davidson of Glen Clova

  Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General – Lord Hamilton
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Gill
• Chairman of the Scottish Land Court – Lord McGhie

  Events

January

• January – first phase of Whitelee Wind Farm, which will be the largest wind farm in Europe, begins feeding electricity to the grid.

  February

• 1 February – Eigg Electrical begins generation of the island's entire electricity supply from renewable energy sources.

  April

• 6 April – the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force.

  May

• 19 May – First ScotRail reopens the railway line from Stirling to Alloa for passengers.

  June

• 4 June – Gretna F.C., just relegated from the Scottish Premier League, go out of business with debts of £4million.

  July

• 7 July – the Antonine Wall, part of the ancient Roman limes, is designated as a World Heritage Site.
• 25 July – Old Monach lighthouse on Shillay, Monach Islands, re-lit.

  November

• 6 November – Lindsay Roy retains the seat for the Labour Party at the Glenrothes by-election with a majority of 6,737 votes. The previous Labour MP John MacDougall died on 13 August 2008 from pleural mesothelioma.
• 14 November – 16-year-old Nicolle Earley kills 63-year-old Ann Gray in her home in Crosshill, Fife.
• 19 November – Clackmannanshire Bridge over the Firth of Forth at Kincardine is opened to traffic.
• 20 November – Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon is named Scottish Politician of the Year.

  December

• 18 December – Woolworths announce their 807 UK stores will close by 5 January 2009.
• 27 December – first 17 of Woolworths branches in Scotland close, with rest to follow shortly.

  Deaths

• 8 October – John Bannerman, historian of Gaelic Scotland
• 5 November – Ian Anderson, footballer
• 18 December – Hannah Frank, visual artist

  The arts

• Alternative hip hop group Young Fathers forms in Edinburgh.
• Peter Maxwell Davies composes his String Trio.