2003 in Scotland

Events from the year 2003 in Scotland.

Incumbents

 * First Minister and Keeper of the Great Seal – Jack McConnell
 * Secretary of State for Scotland – Helen Liddell until 13 June; then Alistair Darling

Law officers

 * Lord Advocate – Lord Boyd of Duncansby
 * Solicitor General for Scotland – Elish Angiolini
 * Advocate General for Scotland – Lynda Clark

Judiciary

 * Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General – Lord Cullen of Whitekirk
 * Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Gill
 * Chairman of the Scottish Land Court – Lord McGhie

Events

 * 29 January – Nat Fraser is found guilty of murdering his wife, Arlene, who went missing almost five years earlier, and is sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation to serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars.
 * 15 February – Up to 100,000 people march in Glasgow to protest against the looming Iraq War.
 * 25 February – The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 receives royal assent.
 * 3 May – 2003 Scottish Parliament election: the Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition led by First Minister Jack McConnell win a majority of seats and are re-elected. The Scottish Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party significantly increase their representation and the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party gains one seat.
 * 9 August – Temperatures at Greycrook in the Scottish Borders reach 32.9 °C, the highest recorded in Scotland until 2022.
 * 25 August – Glasgow Zoo closes.
 * 1 September – Cairngorms National Park created, Scotland's second national park.
 * 21 October – Keith O'Brien is proclaimed a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II.
 * 24 November – The high court in Glasgow imposes a minimum sentence of 27 years for Al Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, the Libyan national convicted of bombing Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1988.
 * Ownership of the Barra Estate is passed by the owner, Ian MacNeil, to the Scottish Government.

Deaths

 * 26 January – George Younger, Conservative politician, former Secretary of State for Scotland (born 1931)
 * 14 February – Dolly, cloned sheep (born 1996)
 * 30 July – Steve Hislop, motorcycle racer, killed in helicopter accident (born 1962)
 * 25 September – Alastair Borthwick, broadcaster and mountaineer (born 1913)

The arts

 * 7 April – James Robertson's historical novel Joseph Knight is published.
 * 27 August – Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna of the Yarnwinder is stolen from the Duke of Buccleuch collection at Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfriesshire. It is recovered in 2007.
 * 22 November – Two Lochs Radio begins broadcasting.
 * Lin Anderson's first "Tartan Noir" novel Driftnet is published.
 * Anne Donovan's first full-length novel Buddha Da is published.
 * The folk band Harem Scarem is formed.
 * Scottish hip hop duo Silibil N' Brains begin performing in the guise of California rappers (in London).