2008 in Scotland

Events from the year 2008 in Scotland.

Incumbents

 * First Minister and Keeper of the Great Seal – Alex Salmond
 * Secretary of State for Scotland – Des Browne until 3 October; then 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

January

 * January – first phase of Whitelee Wind Farm, which will be the largest wind farm in Europe, begins feeding electricity to the grid.

February

 * 1 February – Eigg Electrical begins generation of the island's entire electricity supply from renewable energy sources.

April

 * 6 April – the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force.

May

 * 19 May – First ScotRail reopens the railway line from Stirling to Alloa for passengers.

June

 * 4 June – Gretna F.C., just relegated from the Scottish Premier League, go out of business with debts of £4,000,000.

July

 * 7 July – The Antonine Wall, part of the ancient Roman limes, is designated as a World Heritage Site.
 * 25 July – Old Monach lighthouse on Shillay, Monach Islands, re-lit.

November

 * 6 November – Lindsay Roy retains the seat for the Labour Party at the Glenrothes by-election with a majority of 6,737 votes. The previous Labour MP John MacDougall died on 13 August 2008 from pleural mesothelioma.
 * 14 November – Sixteen-year-old Nicolle Earley kills 63-year-old Ann Gray at her home in Crosshill, Fife.
 * 19 November – Clackmannanshire Bridge over the Firth of Forth at Kincardine is opened to traffic.
 * 20 November – Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon is named Scottish Politician of the Year.

December

 * 18 December – Woolworths announce their 807 UK stores will close by 5 January 2009.
 * 27 December – first seventeen of Woolworths branches in Scotland close, with the rest to follow shortly.

Deaths

 * 27 July – Bob Crampsey, historian, author and broadcaster (born 1930)
 * 8 October – John Bannerman, historian of Gaelic Scotland (born 1932)
 * 5 November – Ian Anderson, footballer (born 1954)
 * 18 December – Hannah Frank, visual artist (born 1908)

The arts

 * Alternative hip hop group Young Fathers forms in Edinburgh.
 * Peter Maxwell Davies composes his String Trio.
 * Supermarionation band is formed in Edinburgh.