2011 in Scotland explained

Events from the year 2011 in Scotland.

Incumbents

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

Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Elish Angiolini; then Frank Mulholland
• Solicitor General for Scotland – Frank Mulholland; then Lesley Thomson
• Advocate General for Scotland – Lord Wallace of Tankerness

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

• 1 January – The United Nations is to examine claims of ownership of the Scottish island of Rockall, after a request from Denmark, which has sovereignty over the neighbouring Faroes^{[1] [2]}
• 1 January – A soldier serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders is killed in an explosion near to the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province, in Afghanistan^[3]
• 1 January – approximately 140 people take part in the annual Loony Dook in the Firth of Forth, at South Queensferry^[4]
• 2 January – At the Old Firm game, Rangers and Celtic, represented by John Greig and Billy McNeill respectively, pay their respects to the 66 victims of the Ibrox Disaster in 1971^[5]
• 2 January – The Montenegrin Embassy in London writes to Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray, correcting factual inaccuracies and asking him to explain comments he made during First Minister's Questions in December 2010, about the country being involved in "war crimes", "ethnic cleansing" and "a United Nations peace-keeping mission"^{[6] [7]}
• 2 January – The publishers of the Sunday Herald newspaper announce that it is to be relaunched as a weekly news magazine^[8]
• 3 January – Gary Anderson is the runner-up at the World Darts Championship^[9]
• 5 January – The Rosyth – Zeebrugge ferry service, the country's only direct ro-ro ferry route to mainland Europe, re-opens as a freight-only service^[10]
• 5 January – A rare bittern (Botaurus stellaris), which last bred in the country c. 1830, is sighted at RSPB Scotland's Insh Marshes nature reserve in Strathspey^[11]
• 18 January – The installation of replicas of the 37 Stirling Heads is completed at the King's Inner Hall at Stirling Castle
• 23 January – an earthquake measuring 3.5 magnitude is recorded at Glenuig, 25 miles (40 km) west of Fort William^[12]
• 25 January – Andy Gray is dismissed from Sky Sports^[13]
• 26 January – Tommy Sheridan is sentenced to three years in prison for lying on oath during the Sheridan v News International case in 2006^[14]
• 27 January – the Scotland Bill receives an unopposed second reading in the House of Commons, with the Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore describing the legislation as the largest transfer of fiscal powers from central Government since the creation of the United Kingdom.^[15]
• 27 January – a Tornado GR4 jet from RAF Lossiemouth ditches in Loch Ewe, with the 2 crew ejecting shortly before the crash^[16]
• 29 January – a climber survives after falling 1000 feet from Sgurr Choinnich Mor, part of the Grey Corries range in Lochaber^[17]

February

• 1 February – The University of the Highlands and Islands is granted full university status.
• 10 February – Former Labour MP Jim Devine is convicted of two counts of fraud for falsely claiming £8,385 in expenses. Devine is the first MP to stand trial in the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal and is later sentenced to 16 months imprisonment.^[18]

March

• 27 March – 2011 United Kingdom Census is taken.

April

• 1 April – prescription charges abolished in Scotland^[19]

May

• 5 May – Elections are held for the Scottish Parliament together with the referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote electoral system for elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.^[20]
• 6 May –
  • The Scottish National Party secures an historic landslide election victory, winning an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament election

This is the first time ever that any party has secured a majority since devolution was established in 1999.^[21]

• • Scottish Labour Party leader Iain Gray announces his resignation after his party loses key seats in constituencies across Scotland.^[22]
  • Voters reject proposals to introduce the alternative voting system in the UK.^[23]
• 7 May –
  • The Scottish National Party urges UK Prime Minister David Cameron to amend the Scotland Bill to give the Scottish Parliament greater legislative powers.^[24]
  • Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott resigns after a collapse of his party's support at the Scottish Parliament election.^[25]
• 9 May – Scottish Conservative Party leader Annabel Goldie announces her intention to step down from the role after the Party's poor results at the recent Parliamentary election.^[26]

June

• 19 June – It is revealed that former Makar, Edwin Morgan, left the SNP almost £1,000,000 in his will.^[27]
• 21 June – Riverside Museum in Glasgow opened to the public.

July

• 1 July – The Labour Party's Iain McKenzie wins the Inverclyde by-election with a majority reduced from 14,416 in 2010 to 5,838.^[28]
• 27 July – Hacktivist Topiary (Jake Davis) is arrested on Yell, Shetland.

August

• 10 August – Police from Scotland are being sent to England to help combat riots and disorder.^[29]
• 31 August – Critics of the proposed £400,000,000 Aberdeen bypass, who have already delayed the project since it won approval in December 2009, decide to press ahead with a fresh legal challenge after a recent appeal at the Court of Session was rejected.^[30]

September

• 7 September – Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond unveils a legislative programme for the coming year which includes plans to create a single police force and a single fire service for Scotland.^[31]
• 21 September – Finance Secretary John Swinney announces his spending plans for the next three years in the context of cuts of more than £3,000,000,000 in funding from the UK Government.^[32]

October

• 12 October – Insurance companies fail in a legal bid to scrap the right of people in Scotland to claim damages for an asbestos-related condition that had been legislated for by the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009.^[33]
• 13 October – BP has been given the go ahead to proceed with a new £4.5bn oil project west of the Shetland Islands.^[34]
• 19 October – Discovery of the Port an Eilean Mhòir boat burial, the UK mainland's first fully intact Viking ship burial site, at Ardnamurchan in the western Scottish Highlands, is announced.^[35]
• 20 October – A BBC Scotland investigation claims to have uncovered evidence of alleged criminality in the past business dealings of the new owner of Rangers, Craig Whyte.^[36]
• 25 October – Scottish gun crime falls to 32-year low.^[37]
• 26 October – Labour MP Ian Davidson, chairman of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee apologises for 'any offence that might have been caused' after SNP MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford accused him of threatening that she would get "a doing" if discussions from a behind-closed-doors meeting of the committee were leaked to the media.^[38]
• 27 October – Edinburgh City Council vote to proceed with plans for a Gaelic school in the city.^[39]

November

• 4 November – Newly elected MSP Ruth Davidson is announced as the new Leader of the Scottish Conservatives.^[40]
• 6 November – A public opinion poll carried out for the BBC Politics Show indicates that devo-max was the most popular option with Scottish voters: 33% backed devo-max, 28% supported Scottish independence and 29% backed 'no further constitutional change'.^[41]
• 10 November – Alex Salmond wins the Herald's Scottish Politician of the Year award.^[42]
• 17 November – Alex Salmond is named The Spectator magazine's 2011 politician of the year.^[43]
• 21 November
  • Stena Line ro-pax ferry MS Stena Caledonia makes the operator's final entry into the port of Stranraer on passage from Belfast. Her replacement, MS Stena Superfast VIII, makes the first sailing from Loch Ryan Port, Old House Point, Cairnryan.
  • Euro Lottery win pair donate £1m to SNP independence bid.^[44]
• 30 November – up to 300,000 public sector workers strike in Scotland over planned UK pension and job changes.^[45]

December

• 4 December – Two giant pandas arrive in Edinburgh from China.^[46]
• 8 December – police tell people not to travel as winds of up to 165 mph (264 km/h) affected the country^[47]
• 14 December – new laws to tackle religious hatred and bigotry related to football are passed by the Scottish Parliament^[48]
• 17 December – MSP Johann Lamont is elected as the new Scottish Labour leader and becomes the Leader of the Opposition^[49]
• 22 December – For the first time, the Scottish Parliament votes to reject a Legislative Consent Motion, refusing to allow Westminster to apply parts of the Welfare Reform Bill to Scotland^[50]

Undated

• Amazon's largest UK distribution centre opens in Dunfermline.^[51]

Deaths

• 4 January – Gerry Rafferty (born 1947), singer-songwriter^[52]
• 11 January – Kenneth Stevenson (born 1949), Bishop of Portsmouth
• 22 January – Chandos Blair (born 1919) General Officer Commanding Scotland (1972–76)
• 24 January – Alec Boden (born 1925), footballer
• 24 January – Phil Gallie (born 1939), Conservative & Unionist MP and MSP^[53]
• 30 January – Ian R. Porteous (born 1930), mathematician
• 1 February – Len Fyfe (born 1941), Labour peer
• 1 February – Tom Jarvie (born 1916), footballer, veterinary surgeon and television personality
• 1 February – Derek Rawcliffe (born 1921), Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway (1981–1991)
• 10 February – Lynne Walker (born 1956), music and theatre critic
• 12 February – James Elliott (born 1928), theatre and television actor
• 21 February – Anne Mathams (born 1913), educationist and disability rights activist
• 22 February – Brian Bonsor (born 1926), composer and music teacher
• 10 March – Danny Paton (born 1936), footballer, who played for Heart Of Midlothian and Oxford United
• 11 March – David Brown (born 1941), international cricketer
• 13 March – Roy Flatt (born 1947), Dean of Argyll and the Isles (1999–2005)
• 31 March – Ishbel MacAskill (born 1941), singer
• 6 April – Jim Blair (born 1947), footballer
• 10 April – Jimmy Briggs (born 1937), footballer
• 11 April – Doug Newlands (born 1931), footballer
• 12 April – Ronnie Coyle (born 1964), footballer
• 20 April – Allan Brown (born 1926), football player and manager
• 28 April – Willie O'Neill (born 1940), footballer
• 30 April – Eddie Turnbull (born 1923), football player and manager
• 5 May – Tommy Wright (born 1928), footballer
• 7 May – Dougie McCracken (born 1964), footballer
• 9 May – David Cairns (born 1966), Labour MP
• 12 May – Noreen Murray (born 1935), professor of molecular genetics at the University of Edinburgh
• 14 May – Ernie Walker (born 1928), Scottish Football Association administrator
• 21 May – Gordon McLennan (born 1924), General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain (1975–1990)
• 27 May – Janet Brown (born 1923), actress, comedian and impressionist
• 8 June – John Mackenzie (born 1928), film director
• 23 June – Ronnie McCluskey (born 1936), footballer
• 26 June – Alan Rodger, Baron Rodger of Earlsferry, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
• 9 August – George Scott Wallace (born 1929), British Columbia physician and politician
• 23 November – Gerald Laing (born 1936 in England), pop artist and sculptor
• 5 December – Celia Whitelaw, Viscountess Whitelaw (born 1917), philanthropist

The arts

• c.19 January – Liz Lochhead becomes the second Scots Makar, the official national poet of Scotland^[54]
• 1 September – Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow renamed as the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
• September – Glasgow synth-pop band CHVRCHΞS is formed
• Kevin MacNeil's novel A Method Actor's Guide to Jekyll and Hyde is published

See also

• Timeline of Scottish history
• 2011 in England
• 2011 in Northern Ireland
• 2011 in the United Kingdom
• 2011 in Wales

Notes and References

1. News: UN to consider ownership of tiny 'Scots' isle. 1 January 2011. STV. 3 January 2011.
2. News: The United Nations is to examine the ownership of the remote islet of Rockall in the Western Isles within weeks after Denmark staked a claim to it.. Morris. Bridget. 2 January 2011. The Herald. 3 January 2011. Glasgow.
3. News: Explosion kills Scots regiment soldier in Helmand. McArdle. Helen. 3 January 2011. The Herald. 3 January 2011. Glasgow.
4. News: In pictures: Loony Dook 2011. 2 January 2011. BBC News Scotland. 3 January 2011.
5. News: Dignity prevails as Old Firm pay homage to disaster victim. Pattullo. Alan. 3 January 2011. The Scotsman. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 3 January 2011. Edinburgh.
6. News: Montenegro fury over Gray's claims of ethnic cleansing. 2 January 2011. Sunday Express. 3 January 2011. London.
7. News: Diplomatic fury after Labour leader's ethnic cleansing jibe. Hutcheon. Paul. 2 January 2011. Sunday Herald. 3 January 2011. Glasgow.
8. News: Sunday Herald newspaper to be relaunched as magazine. McIvor. Jamie. 2 January 2011. BBC News Scotland. 3 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110106085645/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-12104503. 6 January 2011 . live.
9. News: Adrian Lewis beats Gary Anderson to win first PDC title. 3 January 2011. BBC Sport. 4 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110104050953/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/darts/9333712.stm. 4 January 2011 . live.
10. News: Freight ferry service from Rosyth to Zeebrugge reopens. 5 January 2011. BBC News Scotland. 5 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110105090210/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-12113301. 5 January 2011 . live.
11. News: Latest sighting of rare bittern at Insh Marshes. 5 January 2011. BBC News Scotland. 5 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110106085535/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-12122582. 6 January 2011 . live.
12. News: Earthquake hits west of Scotland. BBC. BBC News. 23 January 2011. 23 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110125223735/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-12262293. 25 January 2011 . live.
13. Web site: Sky Sports sack football pundit Andy Gray for his sexist comments . 2011-01-25. BBC News. 2011-01-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20110126014457/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12279233. 26 January 2011 . live.
14. News: Tommy Sheridan sentenced to three years in prison. 26 January 2011. The Guardian. 26 January 2011.
15. News: Commons clears transfer of powers. 28 January 2011. The Herald. 28 January 2011.
16. News: Military jet crashes: Two crew rescued. McCallum. Shiona. 27 January 2011. STV. 28 January 2011.
17. News: Climber fell 1,000 feet off mountain – then walked away. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/climber-fell-1000-feet-off-mountain-ndash-then-walked-away-2198562.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription. Osley. Richard. 30 January 2011. The Independent. 30 January 2011.
18. Web site: Former MP Jim Devine guilty over expenses. 10 February 2011. www.bbc.co.uk.
19. Web site: Prescription charges abolished in Scotland. BBC News Scotland. 2011-04-01. 2011-04-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20110401040446/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12928485. 1 April 2011 . live.
20. News: UK elections: Who is voting where today?. Graham. Satchell. BBC. BBC News. 5 May 2011. 27 May 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110506100120/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13290372. 6 May 2011 . live.
21. News: Scottish election: SNP wins election. BBC. BBC News. 6 May 2011. 27 May 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110527030052/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13305522. 27 May 2011 . live.
22. News: Scottish election: Labour leader Iain Gray to quit. BBC. BBC News. 6 May 2011. 27 May 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110506221309/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13312883. 6 May 2011 . live.
23. News: Vote 2011: UK rejects alternative vote. BBC. BBC News. 7 May 2011. 27 May 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110520031425/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13297573. 20 May 2011 . live.
24. News: Scottish election: SNP press Cameron on Scotland Bill. BBC. BBC News. 7 May 2011. 27 May 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110520031347/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13321478. 20 May 2011 . live.
25. News: Scots Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott quits post. Andrew. Black. BBC. BBC News. 7 May 2011. 27 May 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110520031343/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-13321726. 20 May 2011 . live.
26. News: Scots Tory leader Annabel Goldie announces resignation. BBC. BBC News. 9 May 2011. 27 May 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110510034306/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13340641. 10 May 2011 . live.
27. News: Top poet Edwin Morgan stuns SNP party bosses after leaving them £1m fortune. Daily Record. 19 June 2011. 4 December 2011.
28. News: Labour wins Inverclyde by-election with lower majority. BBC. BBC News. 1 July 2011. 1 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110701015307/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13980594. 1 July 2011 . live.
29. News: England riots: Scottish police to aid disorder efforts. BBC. BBC News. 10 August 2011. 20 August 2011.
30. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-14728915 Aberdeen bypass set for renewed legal challenge
31. News: Scots ministers to reform police, jobs and alcohol laws. BBC. BBC News. 7 September 2011. 7 September 2011.
32. News: Scottish budget breakdown. BBC. BBC News. 21 September 2011. 22 September 2011.
33. News: Supreme Court backs asbestos compensation law. BBC. BBC News. 12 October 2011. 12 October 2011.
34. Web site: BP unveils Shetland investment programme. BBC. BBC News. 13 October 2011. 13 October 2011.
35. Web site: Ardnamurchan Viking boat burial discovery 'a first'. BBC News. 2011-10-19. 2011-10-19.
36. News: 'Criminality' claims over Rangers owner Craig Whyte. BBC. BBC News. 20 October 2011. 20 October 2011.
37. News: Scottish gun crime falls to 32-year low. BBC. BBC News. 25 October 2011. 25 October 2011.
38. News: Labour MP Ian Davidson says sorry to select committee. BBC. BBC News. 26 October 2011. 26 October 2011.
39. News: Go-ahead for Gaelic school in Edinburgh. BBC. BBC News. 27 October 2011. 27 October 2011.
40. News: Ruth Davidson elected new Scottish Conservative leader. BBC . BBC News. 4 November 2011. 4 November 2011.
41. News: BBC survey indicates support for Scottish 'devo-max'. BBC . BBC News. 6 November 2011. 6 November 2011.
42. News: Salmond crowned Scottish politician of the year. heraldscotland.com . 11 November 2011. 11 November 2011.
43. News: Alex Salmond wins Spectator's Politician of the Year. BBC. BBC News. 17 November 2011. 17 November 2011.
44. News: Euro Lottery win pair donate £1m to SNP independence bid. BBC. BBC News. 21 November 2011. 21 November 2011.
45. News: Up to 300,000 public sector workers strike in Scotland. BBC. BBC News. 30 November 2011. 30 November 2011.
46. News: Giant pandas arrive in Edinburgh from China. BBC. BBC News. 4 December 2011. 4 December 2011.
47. News: Scotland storm blackout hitting thousands. BBC. BBC News. 8 December 2011. 10 December 2011.
48. News: Anti-bigot laws passed by the Scottish Parliament. BBC. BBC News. 14 December 2011. 14 December 2011.
49. News: MSP Johann Lamont named new Scottish Labour leader. BBC. BBC News. 17 December 2011. 17 December 2011.
50. News: Holyrood’s defiance could deprive needy of benefits, SNP told . Scott . Macnab . 23 December 2011 . . dead . https://archive.today/20120910112546/http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/holyrood_s_defiance_could_deprive_needy_of_benefits_snp_told_1_2022326 . 10 September 2012.
51. News: Secrets of Black Friday. Metro. London. 2023-11-24. 30.
52. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12115604 Gerry Rafferty dies at age of 63
53. News: Former Tory MSP Phil Gallie dies. 25 January 2011. BBC News Scotland. 25 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110125204500/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-12275637. 25 January 2011 . live.
54. News: Liz Lochhead confirmed as new Scots Makar. 2011-01-19. BBC News. 2011-01-19.