1972 in Scotland explained

Events from the year 1972 in Scotland.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal – Gordon Campbell

Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Norman Wylie
• Solicitor General for Scotland – David Brand until November; then William Stewart

Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General – Lord Clyde until 25 April; then Lord Emslie
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Grant, then Lord Wheatley
• Chairman of the Scottish Land Court – Lord Birsay

Events

• 11 February – Rockall is formally claimed as part of Scotland.
• 24 May – Rangers F.C. wins the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with a 3–2 win over Soviet side FC Dynamo Moscow in Barcelona.
• 26 May — Loch Lomond Bear Park opened near Balloch to display bears.
• 27 June – Highland Wildlife Park opened near Kingussie to display native species.^[1]
• 25 August – Kilbirnie Street fire in Glasgow: 7 firemen killed in a flashover.
• 1 September – Raising of school-leaving age from fifteen to sixteen for pupils leaving school at the end of the academic year, in common with the rest of the UK.^[2]
• 5 October – last ship launched at the former John Brown & Company Clydebank yard, Clyde-class bulk grain carrier MV Alisa.^[3]
• 8 December — Wendy Wood begins a hunger strike for home rule.^[4]
• December – Gartnavel General Hospital opens in Glasgow.
• Anderston Centre opens in Glasgow.
• The West Highland Free Press newspaper is founded at Broadford, Skye.
• Hamilton Academy closes (founded 1588)

Births

• 23 January – Ewen Bremner, actor
• 20 February – Neil Primrose, musician
• 25 March – Phil O'Donnell, footballer (died 2007)^[5]
• 8 April – Lisa Cameron, Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, 2015-, and clinical psychologist
• 9 April – Neve McIntosh, actress
• 10 April – Gordon Buchanan, wildlife film-maker
• 1 May – Patrick Grant, men's fashion designer
• 15 May – Danny Alexander, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, 2005–15
• 2 August – Carol Monaghan, Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for Glasgow North West, 2015-
• 16 August – Frankie Boyle, comedian^[6]
• 17 August – David Ralph, field hockey forward
• 14 September – Jenny Colgan, novelist
• 2 October – John Anderson, footballer
• 20 October – Debbie McLeod, field hockey goalkeeper
• 29 November – Willie Bain, Scottish Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Glasgow North East, 2009-

Deaths

• 15 March – Jimmy Simpson, international footballer (born 1908)
• 28 March – Duncan Campbell, revivalist (born 1898)
• 4 June – David Ross Lauder, recipient of the Victoria Cross (born 1894)
• 19 November – William Grant, Lord Grant, serving Lord Justice Clerk and former Lord Advocate (born 1909)^[7]
• 30 November – Compton Mackenzie, novelist and Scottish nationalist (born 1883 in West Hartlepool)
• 27 December – John Kerr, cricketer (born 1885)
• Jimmy MacBeath, folk singer (born 1894)

The arts

• George Mackay Brown's novel Greenvoe is published.
• Bill Bryden's play Willie Rough is staged by the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.
• The Average White Band is formed in Dundee.
• The pipe band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards release their instrumental recording of "Amazing Grace" which reaches No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in April.

See also

• 1972 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. 'Wildlife with a difference', Press and Journal, 27 June 1972, p.6.
2. Legislation dated 20 January.
3. Web site: MV Alisa. https://web.archive.org/web/20140421081828/http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/seventies/ALISA_120.html. dead. 2014-04-21. Clydebuilt. 2014-04-20.
4. 'Patriots' leader Wendy starts protest "fast to death"', Evening Times, 8 December 1972, p.18.
5. Web site: Murray. Ewan. Obituary: Phil O'Donnell. The Guardian. 12 January 2018. 1 January 2008.
6. News: Frankie Boyle . 7 November 2019 . BBC.
7. News: Lord Grant killed in car accident . . 20 November 1972 . George . Watt . 1 . Google News . 12 January 2016.