1858 in Scotland

Events from the year 1858 in Scotland.

Law officers

 * Lord Advocate – James Moncreiff until March; then John Inglis until July; then Charles Baillie
 * Solicitor General for Scotland – Edward Maitland; then Charles Baillie; then David Mure

Judiciary

 * Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General – Lord Colonsay
 * Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Glencorse, then Lord Glenalmond

Events

 * 1 January – the permanent North Unst Lighthouse on Muckle Flugga (Shetland), designed by brothers Thomas and David Stevenson, is first illuminated.
 * 16 April – the Wernerian Natural History Society of Edinburgh is wound up.
 * 31 August – Bressay Lighthouse in Shetland is first illuminated.
 * 26 October – launch of Fraserburgh life-boat, the first in Scotland under the auspices of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
 * Completion of Hamilton Mausoleum.
 * Reconstruction of Paisley Abbey begins.
 * Temperate Palm House at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh built.
 * The West of Scotland Grand National, predecessor of the Scottish Grand National, is first run, at a course near Houston, Renfrewshire.

Births

 * 14 March – George Henry, painter (died 1943)
 * 10 April – Arthur Melville, painter of Oriental subjects (died 1904)
 * 11 May – Richard Archer Prince, born Richard Millar Archer, actor and murderer (died 1937 in Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum)
 * 7 December – Ned Haig, butcher and rugby union player notable for founding the sport of rugby sevens (died 1939)

Deaths

 * 15 February – John Gray, owner of Greyfriars Bobby
 * 19 February – Alexander Black, architect (born c.1790)
 * 24 February – Thomas Hamilton, architect (born 1784)
 * 10 June – Robert Brown, botanist and palaeobotanist (born 1773)
 * 20 June – James Jardine, hydraulic engineer (born 1776)
 * 16 September – John Macgregor, shipbuilder (born 1802)

The arts

 * 24 March – the Scottish National Gallery on The Mound in Edinburgh opens.
 * August – German writer Theodor Fontane tours Scotland.
 * E. B. Ramsay's Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character is published.