2009 in Scotland explained

Events from the year 2009 in Scotland

Incumbents

• First Minister and Keeper of the Great Seal – Alex Salmond
• Secretary of State for Scotland – 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

• 25 January (Burns Night)–30 November (St Andrew's Day) – Homecoming Scotland.

January

• 13 January – minor earthquake in Shetland.^[1]
• 24 January – 2009 Buachaille Etive Mòr avalanche: three climbers are killed in an avalanche on Buachaille Etive Mòr in the Highlands. Five others walk away uninjured, whilst another suffers a shoulder injury.^[2]
• 28 January – the Scottish Parliament rejects the budget tabled by the Scottish National Party administration. The Presiding Officer casts the deciding vote after the result is originally tied at 64 in favour, 64 against. The Scottish Finance Secretary, John Swinney, says the budget will be put before parliament again as soon as is possible, whilst the First Minister, Alex Salmond, reportedly puts the SNP on an 'election footing' in case the budget were to be voted down once more.^{[3] [4]}

February

• 4 February – the Scottish Parliament approves the minority SNP's administration's budget at the second time of asking. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats vote for the budget after voting it down the previous time.^[5]

March

• 30 March – major power cut hits Glasgow and parts of the West of Scotland, causing traffic chaos in most areas.^[6]

April

• 1 April – Marine Scotland is established.^[7]
• 3 April – Glasgow school closures protest, 2009 begins.
• 5 April – Andy Murray wins the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open – Men's Singles in tennis.
• 8 April – Slovakian Marek Harcar is jailed for at least 25 years after being found guilty of raping and murdering Moira Jones in a Glasgow park.^[8]
• 13 April – Scotland win the 2009 World Men's Curling Championship in Moncton, Canada.
• 30 April – Beltane.

May

• 4 May – John Higgins wins the 2009 World Snooker Championship.
• 14 May – Tradeston Bridge opens for pedestrians across the River Clyde in Glasgow.
• 22 May – Whitelee Wind Farm, the largest wind farm in Europe, officially opens.^{[9] [10]}

June

• 4 June – the SNP tops the poll in the European Election in Scotland, winning two of Scotland's six MEPs. Labour also win two, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats winning one each.
• 14 June (20:30 BST) – the first human death from the 2009 swine flu pandemic in the United Kingdom is confirmed by the Scottish Government.^[11]
• 15 June – the Commission on Scottish Devolution, chaired by Kenneth Calman, issues its final report, recommending that the Scottish Parliament be given greater control over tax and legislation such as setting speed limits.^[12]
• 25–28 June – Royal Highland Show.

July

• 7 July – Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier laid down at BAE Systems, Govan;^[13] she will be assembled at Rosyth Dockyard.
• 16–19 July – Open Championship, Turnberry (golf course), South Ayrshire.

August

• 2 August – Catriona Matthew wins the 2009 Women's British Open in golf.
• 11 August – archaeologists announce that they have discovered a royal tomb from the early Bronze Age, at Forteviot.^[14]
• 14 August – archaeologists announce that they have discovered a Neolithic temple in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.^[15]
• 20 August – the Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill grants release to the convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds, stating that Megrahi is in the final stages of terminal prostate cancer.^[16]

September

• 15 September – Geology of Scotland: Shetland awarded European Geopark status.^[17]

October

• 27 October – the West Highland Free Press becomes the UK's only employee-owned newspaper.^[18]

November

• 16 November – Galloway Forest Park is designated at a dark sky park by the International Dark-Sky Association.
• 20 November – John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, wins the Scottish Politician of the Year Award.^[19]
• 26 November – BrewDog launches a new beer called Tactical Nuclear Penguin, with 32% alcohol, which is claimed to be the strongest beer ever made.^[20]

December

• 1 December – the first reshuffle of the Scottish Cabinet since the Scottish National Party came to power in May 2007.^[21]
• 5–11 December – The 2009 European Curling Championships take place in Aberdeen.^[22]
• 16 December – Scotland's largest airline, Flyglobespan, goes into administration.^[23]
• 17 December – archaeologists announce that they have found man-made structures on the sea-bed off the island of Damsay, Orkney.^[24]
• 20 December – Richie Ramsay wins the South African Open (golf), Scotland's first win on the European Tour since Alastair Forsyth won the Madeira Island Open in March 2008.^[25]
• 21 December – Fraochy Bay television cartoon series airs.^[26]
• 30 December – three climbers are killed following three large avalanches in the Scottish mountains.^{[27] [28]}

Deaths

January

• 7 January – Alfie Conn Sr., footballer (born 1926)^[29]
• 29 January – John Martyn, singer-songwriter (born 1948)^[30]

February

• 6 February – Bashir Ahmad, Scottish National Party MSP for Glasgow (born 1940)^[31]
• 17 February – Victor Kiernan, Marxist historian (born 1913 in England)
• 19 February – Anna Watt, variety entertainer (born 1924)

April

• 30 April – Maurice Lindsay, broadcaster, writer and poet (died 1918)^[32]

June

• 7 June – Gordon Lennon, footballer (born 1983)

July

• 6 July – Jim Reid, folk musician (born 1934)
• 29 July – Paul McGrillen, footballer, by suicide (born 1971)

September

• 23 September – Bill Speirs, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, and key figure on the left of the Scottish Labour Party, and in the campaign for Scottish devolution, instrumental in the creation of Scotland United, a member of the Scottish Constitutional Convention and a member of the group that drafted the key document Scotland's Parliament, Scotland's Right in 1995 (born 1952)^[33]
• 28 September – Reverend Maxwell Craig, the Extra Chaplain to the Queen^[34]

October

• 11 October – Abigail McLellan, painter (born 1969)^[35]

December

• 1 December – Cordelia Oliver, journalist, painter and art critic (born 1923)^[36]

The Arts

• 17–28 June – Edinburgh International Film Festival.
• September – Emma's Imagination releases her debut single, "Stamp Your Feet", on Glasgow independent label Up Next Records.
• 23 November – Susan Boyle's first album, I Dreamed a Dream becomes Amazon's best-selling album in pre-sales.^{[37] [38]}
• Peter Maxwell Davies composes his string sextet The Last Island.

See also

• 2009 in England
• 2009 in Northern Ireland
• 2009 in Wales

Notes and References

1. News: Lucy. Cockroft. Earthquake shakes the Shetland Islands. The Daily Telegraph. 15 January 2009. 8 September 2010. London. https://web.archive.org/web/20100903052538/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/geology/4244656/Earthquake-shakes-the-Shetland-Islands.html. 3 September 2010. dead.
2. News: 24 January 2009 . Three die in Highlands avalanche . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090218213104/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7848934.stm . 18 February 2009 . 28 March 2010 . BBC News.
3. News: 28 January 2009 . Scottish budget rejected by MSPs . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090215122155/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7854417.stm . 15 February 2009 . 28 March 2010 . BBC News.
4. News: 29 January 2009 . Q&A:Scottish budget rejection . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090201163402/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7857087.stm . 1 February 2009 . 28 March 2010 . BBC News.
5. News: 4 February 2009 . Scottish budget approved by MSPs . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090207114415/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7868485.stm . 7 February 2009 . 28 March 2010 . BBC News.
6. News: Power cut causes roads gridlock. BBC News Scotland. 31 March 2009. 30 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090402161847/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7972904.stm. 2 April 2009. live.
7. News: Haworth . Jenny . 10 February 2009 . New body to manage Scotland's waters . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090212170502/http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/New-body-to-manage-.4962677.jp . 12 February 2009 . . Edinburgh.
8. Web site: 8 April 2009 . Man found guilty of Moira murder . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090411091949/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7989422.stm . 11 April 2009 . BBC News.
9. Web site: Jones . Jackie . 22 May 2009 . Europe's Largest Onshore Wind Farm Is Switched on in Scotland . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131005162823/http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/05/europes-largest-onshore-wind-farm-is-switched-on-in-scotland . 5 October 2013 . 10 November 2011 . Renewable Energy World.
10. Web site: 22 May 2009 . Switch-On At Europe's Largest Onshore Windfarm . https://web.archive.org/web/20120222055820/http://www.scottishpowerrenewables.com/pages/press_releases.asp?article=47&date_year=2009 . 22 February 2012 . 10 November 2011 . Scottish Power Renewables.
11. News: First UK swine flu patient death. BBC News. 15 June 2009. 15 June 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090617180142/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8099832.stm. 17 June 2009. live.
12. News: 'Radical' Holyrood powers urged. BBC News. 15 June 2009. 15 June 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090616121909/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8099634.stm. 16 June 2009. live.
13. News: 7 July 2009 . Work begins on aircraft carriers . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221742/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8137703.stm . 14 July 2014 . 3 July 2014 . BBC News.
14. News: Ancient royal tomb found in Scotland. 11 August 2009. The Independent. 14 August 2009. London. David. Keys. 20 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171020215429/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ancient-royal-tomb-found-in-scotland-1771875.html. dead.
15. News: Neolithic 'temple' revealed at site on Orkney. 14 August 2009. The Herald. Glasgow. 14 August 2009. 19 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090819022657/http://theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2525441.0.Neolithic_temple_revealed_at_site_on_Orkney.php. dead.
16. News: 20 August 2009 . Lockerbie bomber Megrahi to be freed despite US opposition . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020214320/http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/lockerbie-bomber-megrahi-is-free-1-1215794 . 20 October 2012 . 20 August 2009 . . Edinburgh.
17. Web site: 15 September 2009 . Delight as Shetland's remarkable rocks recognised with Geopark status . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090917081446/https://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2009/09/15/delight-as-shetlands-remarkable-rocks-recognised-with-geopark-status . 17 September 2009 . The Shetland Times . en-GB.
18. Web site: 29 October 2009 . Employees swoop to take over West Highland Free Press . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140519132459/http://www.allmediascotland.com/press/17172/employees-swoop-to-take-over-west-highland-free-press/ . 19 May 2014 . 19 May 2014 . allmediascotland.com.
19. News: 20 November 2009 . Swinney named politician of year . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20091123134330/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8369849.stm . 23 November 2009 . BBC News . en-GB.
20. News: 26 November 2009 . 'World's strongest' beer with 32% strength launched . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20091127051956/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8380412.stm . 27 November 2009 . BBC News . en-GB.
21. News: 1 December 2009 . Scottish Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop demoted . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20091204233253/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8388141.stm . 4 December 2009 . 1 December 2009 . BBC News.
22. Web site: Olympedia – Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Curling Championships . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240204195733/https://www.olympedia.org/lists/195/manual . 4 February 2024 . 4 February 2024 . www.olympedia.org.
23. News: Scotland's biggest airline goes bust. BBC News. 16 December 2009. 17 December 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091217031847/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8417183.stm. 17 December 2009 . live.
24. News: Rising seas 'clue' in sunken world off Orkney. 17 December 2009. BBC News Scotland. 17 December 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091217052452/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8416600.stm. 17 December 2009 . live.
25. News: Richie Ramsay holds nerve to fend off Shiv Kapur and win maiden European Tour title. 21 December 2009. The Scotsman. 21 December 2009.
26. News: All set for the surreal world of Fraochy? . Stornoway Gazette . 16 December 2009 . 28 January 2017 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093150/http://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/news/local-headlines/all-set-for-the-surreal-world-of-fraochy-1-119607 . dead .
27. News: 30 December 2009 . Three climbers die in avalanches . 30 December 2009 . The Press Association.
28. News: Three climbers die in avalanches. BBC News. 30 December 2009. 30 December 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091231045858/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8434825.stm. 31 December 2009 . live.
29. News: 9 January 2009 . Alfie Conn . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020124333/http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/alfie-conn-1-753045 . 20 October 2012 . 9 January 2009 . . Edinburgh.
30. News: Songwriter Martyn dies, aged 60 . BBC News Scotland . 29 January 2009 . 29 January 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090131031447/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7858458.stm. 31 January 2009 . live.
31. News: MSPs pay tribute to Bashir Ahmad. The Herald. Glasgow. 9 February 2009.
32. Web site: Riach . Alan . Obituary: Maurice Lindsay . the Guardian . 30 April 2021 . en . 12 May 2009.
33. News: Bill Speirs obituary. 27 September 2009. The Guardian. 8 October 2009. London. Brian. Wilson.
34. News: Memorial service for Queen's Chaplain. 7 October 2009. The Times Scotland. 7 October 2009. London. Philippe. Naughton. Adam. Sage.
35. Web site: Hossack . Rebecca . Abigail McLellan obituary . The Guardian . 4 February 2024 . 18 October 2009.
36. Web site: Grigor . Murray . Cordelia Oliver obituary . the Guardian . 3 November 2022 . en . 26 January 2010.
37. https://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/09/04/susan-boyle-s-debut-album-at-number-one-three-months-before-it-s-released-115875-21646196/ Susan Boyle's debut album at number one – three months before it's released
38. Andy Pemberton, "Susan Boyle Sticks To Natural Look For New Album Cover," Posted 14 October 2009 on Musictoob, found at Yahoo Music. Accessed 15 October 2009.