Events from the year 2005 in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

Incumbents

First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of ' ...

and Keeper of the Great Seal –

Jack McConnell Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, (born 30 June 1960) is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2001 to 2007. McConnell served as the Minister ...

* Secretary of State for Scotland –

Alistair Darling Alistair Maclean Darling, Baron Darling of Roulanish, (born 28 November 1953) is a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he was a Member ...

Law officers

Lord Advocate His Majesty's Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate ( gd, Morair Tagraidh, sco, Laird Advocat), is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved p ...

– Lord Boyd of Duncansby *

Solicitor General for Scotland , body = , insignia = Crest of the Kingdom of Scotland.svg , insigniasize = 110px , image = File:Official Portrait of Ruth Charteris QC.png , incumbent = Ruth Charteris KC , incumbentsince = 22 June 2021 , department = Crown Office and ...

–

Elish Angiolini Lady Elish Frances Angiolini (''née'' McPhilomy; born 24 June 1960"Angiolini, Elish Frances" in ''Who's Who'', A & C Black.) is a Scottish lawyer. She was the Lord Advocate of Scotland from 2006 until 2011, having previously been Solicitor Ge ...

* Advocate General for Scotland – Lynda Clark

Judiciary

Lord President of the Court of Session The Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General is the most senior judge in Scotland, the head of the judiciary, and the presiding judge of the College of Justice, the Court of Session, and the High Court of Justiciary. The L ...

and

Lord Justice General Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

– Lord Cullen of Whitekirk until 2 December; then Lord Hamilton *

Lord Justice Clerk The Lord Justice Clerk is the second most senior judge in Scotland, after the Lord President of the Court of Session. Originally ''clericus justiciarie'' or Clerk to the Court of Justiciary, the counterpart in the criminal courts of the Lord ...

– Lord Gill *

Chairman of the Scottish Land Court The Scottish Land Court is a Scottish court of law based in Edinburgh with subject-matter jurisdiction covering disputes between landlords and tenants relating to agricultural tenancies, and matters related to crofts and crofters. The Scott ...

– Lord McGhie

Events

January

* January – Violence Reduction Unit formed by

Strathclyde Police Strathclyde Police was the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfre ...

to target all forms of violent behaviour. *

8 January Events Pre-1600 * 307 – Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying. * 871 – Æthelred I and Alfred the Great lead a West Saxon army to repel an inv ...

– after a night of stormy weather the Irish Sea ferry ''European Highlander'' has run aground on the south-west coast, with passengers remaining on board rather than evacuating under the prevailing conditions. * 11 January – 5 people are killed on

Uist "Uist" is a group of six islands and are part of the Outer Hebridean Archipelago, part of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. North Uist and South Uist ( or ; gd, Uibhist ) are two of the islands and are linked by causeways running via the isles ...

when their cars are washed from the coast road in a storm. *

20 January Events Pre-1600 * 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution. * 649 – King Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, crowns his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom. *1156 – ...

– Carolyn Leckie, a member of the Scottish Parliament, is jailed for seven days for non-payment of a fine arising from a protest at Faslane nuclear base.

March

21 March Events Pre-1600 * 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the ''Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas and ...

– agreement announced for sale of

Jenners Jenners is a former well-established department store in Edinburgh, Scotland, situated on Princes Street. It was Scotland's oldest independent department store until the retail business was acquired by House of Fraser in 2005. It closed in D ...

department store of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

to the House of Fraser.

April

21 April Events Pre-1600 *753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date). *43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered s ...

– Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act passed by the Scottish Parliament, the first piece of

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred to ...

in the UK to give formal recognition to the

Scottish Gaelic language Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

. It aims to secure Gaelic as an

official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...

of Scotland, commanding "equal respect" with

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, by establishing

Bòrd na Gàidhlig (, ) is the executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government with responsibility for Gaelic.government of Scotland (

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in oth ...

: 1 June).

May

5 May Events Pre-1600 * 553 – The Second Council of Constantinople begins. *1215 – Rebel barons renounce their allegiance to King John of England — part of a chain of events leading to the signing of the Magna Carta. *1260 – Kub ...

–

UK general election This is a list of United Kingdom general elections (elections for the UK House of Commons) since the first in 1802. The members of the 1801–1802 Parliament had been elected to the former Parliament of Great Britain and Parliament of Ireland ...

results in Labour winning 41 of Scotland's 59 seats, with the Liberal Democrats winning eleven, the SNP winning six and the Conservatives winning one.

June

1 June Events Pre-1600 *1215 – Zhongdu (now Beijing), then under the control of the Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by the Mongols under Genghis Khan, ending the Battle of Zhongdu. *1252 – Alfonso X is proclaimed king o ...

– Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act of the Scottish Parliament establishes

Bòrd na Gàidhlig (, ) is the executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government with responsibility for Gaelic.Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...

as an

of Scotland. * 23 June – Prince William of Wales graduates from the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

July

1 July Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

– new Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters opened at Gogarburn on the outskirts of Edinburgh. * 5 July – riots in Edinburgh by anti-capitalist and anti-G8 protesters. *

6 July Events Pre-1600 *371 BC – The Battle of Leuctra shatters Sparta's reputation of military invincibility. * 640 – Battle of Heliopolis: The Muslim Arab army under 'Amr ibn al-'As defeat the Byzantine forces near Heliopolis (Egypt). ...

** 31st G8 summit, hosted by the UK, begins at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. **

Edinburgh 50,000 - The Final Push Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

concert held in Edinburgh. *

8 July Events Pre-1600 *1099 – Some 15,000 starving Christian soldiers begin the siege of Jerusalem by marching in a religious procession around the city as its Muslim defenders watch. * 1283 – Roger of Lauria, commanding the Aragonese ...

–

Scottish Jacobite Party The Scottish Jacobite Party was a political party in Scotland. It was registered with the Electoral Commission on 8 July 2005, and launched in Glenfinnan to coincide with the 31st G8 summit and roughly with the 260th anniversary of Bonnie Princ ...

formed, favouring an independent republican Scotland.

August

5 August Events Pre-1600 *AD 25 – Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty. * 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are ...

– the

Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 (asp 13) is an Act of the Scottish Parliament passed in 2005, after being introduced by Scottish Executive Health minister Andy Kerr. The Act established that, from 26 March 2006, it would ...

, banning smoking in enclosed public spaces, gets Royal assent.

September

* 29 September; ** Livingston by-election results in

Jim Devine James Devine (born 21 May 1953) is a former Member of Parliament. He was the Labour Party member for Livingston from 2005 until 2010 and Chairman of the Scottish Labour Party between 1994 and 1995. On 16 June 2009, following the 2009 expenses ...

retaining the seat for Labour; though with a reduced majority in the face of a swing of 10.2% to the Scottish National Party. ** Glasgow Cathcart by-election results in Charlie Gordon retaining the seat for Labour in the face of a 3.7% swing to the SNP.

October

4 October Events Pre-1600 *AD 23 – Rebels sack the Chinese capital Chang'an during a peasant rebellion. *1209 – Otto IV is crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Innocent III. *1302 – The Byzantine–Venetian War comes to ...

– the

Northern Lighthouse Board The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) is the general lighthouse authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is a non-departmental public body responsible for marine navigation aids around coastal areas. History The NLB was formed by Act of P ...

decommissions its last Scottish lighthouse foghorn, at Skerryvore. * 5 October – three perpetrators of the racially motivated murder of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

teenager Kriss Donald arrive in Scotland to face trial in a one-off extradition agreement negotiated with Pakistan.

November

* November – Loch Ewe Distillery established. * 13 November –

Andrew Stimpson Andrew Stimpson (born 1980 in Largs, Scotland) is a former glamour model, who was once cover boy and centrefold of ''Euroboy'' magazine. He tested negative for HIV fourteen months after three initial tests returned a positive result. While ther ...

, a 25-year-old man from Scotland, is reported as the first person proven to have been 'cured' of

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

. * 21 November –

Alfred Anderson Alfred Anderson may refer to: * Alfred Anderson (American football) (born 1961), former American football running back * Alfred Anderson (entrepreneur) (1888–1956), Australian butcher and entrepreneur * Alfred Anderson (pianist) (1848–1876), Au ...

, one of the last surviving

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

veterans and the oldest man in Scotland, dies at the age of 109. He is also the last known survivor of the 1914 Christmas truce. There are now only approximately twenty surviving British veterans of the conflict, all aged over 100 years.

Deaths

* 30 January –

Martyn Bennett Martyn Bennett (17 February 1971 – 30 January 2005) was a Canadian-Scottish musician who was influential in the evolution of modern Celtic fusion, a blending of traditional Celtic and modern music. He was a piper, violinist, composer and prod ...

, Celtic fusion musician (born

1971 in Canada Events from the year 1971 in Canada. Incumbents Crown * Monarch – Queen Elizabeth II Federal government * Governor General – Roland Michener * Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau * Chief Justice – Gérald Fauteux (Quebec) * Parliame ...

) *

24 February Events Pre-1600 * 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica. *1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence. *1386 ...

– Robin Jenkins, novelist (born 1912) * 26 April – Gordon Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy, Conservative politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (born 1921) * 29 June – John Burgess, bagpiper (born

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

) * 15 July –

David Daiches David Daiches (2 September 1912 – 15 July 2005) was a Scottish literary historian and literary critic, scholar and writer. He wrote extensively on English literature, Scottish literature and Scottish culture. Early life He was born in Sunder ...

, literary scholar (born 1912 in England) * 6 August –

Robin Cook Robert Finlayson "Robin" Cook (28 February 19466 August 2005) was a British Labour politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1974 until his death in 2005 and served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 until 2001 wh ...

, Labour MP, former Foreign Secretary (born 1946) *

22 October Events Pre-1600 * 451 – The Chalcedonian Creed, regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus, is adopted by the Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council. * 794 – Emperor Kanmu relocates the Japanese capital to Heian-kyō (n ...

– Muriel Gibson, Scottish nationalist activist and military officer (born 1912) *

7 December Events Pre-1600 *43 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero is assassinated in Formia on orders of Marcus Antonius. * 574 – Byzantine Emperor Justin II, suffering recurring seizures of insanity, adopts his general Tiberius and proclaims him ...

– Lucy d'Abreu, supercentenarian, oldest person in U.K. at date of death (born 1892 in the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

)

The arts

–

Theresa Breslin Theresa Breslin is a Scottish author. Winner of many literary awards, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal, Theresa Breslin is the popular, critically acclaimed author of over 50 titles covering every age range, whose books have been adapte ...

's young adult novel ''

Divided City A divided city is one which, as a consequence of political changes or border shifts, currently constitutes (or once constituted) two separate entities, or an urban area with a border running through it. Listed below are the localities and the stat ...

'' is published. *

Kevin MacNeil Kevin MacNeil is a Scottish novelist, poet, screenwriter, lyricist and playwright. He was born and raised on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Author Bibliography * Poetry Collection: ''Love and Zen in the Outer Hebrides'' (Canongate, 1 ...

's first novel ''The Stornoway Way'' is published. *

Indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...

band

Reverieme Louise Connell (previously Reverieme) is a Scottish indie pop act from Airdrie, founded in 2005 by vocalist and guitarist Louise Connell. In 2011, Reverieme performed at T in the Park, Wickerman and Edinburgh's The Edge Festival, receiving a ...

forms in Airdrie. *

Scottish hip hop Scottish hip hop is the regional manifestation of the British hip hop culture in Scotland, comprising the five elements of MCing, DJing, beatboxing, graffiti and b-boying. History In the 1980s, elements of hip hop culture had spread to Scotland ...

duo Silibil N' Brains forms.

References

{{Years in Scotland , state=collapsed Years of the 21st century in Scotland 2000s in Scotland