1972 in Scotland

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.
 * 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.
 * 5 October – last ship launched at the former John Brown & Company Clydebank yard, Clyde-class bulk grain carrier MV Alisa.
 * 8 December — Wendy Wood begins a hunger strike for home rule.
 * 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)
 * 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
 * 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)
 * 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.