2019 in Scotland

Events from the year 2019 in Scotland.

Incumbents

Events

2 January – Abellio ScotRail announces average rail fare increases of 2.8%, lower than the average 3.1% increase announced for England and Wales.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-46735214|title=ScotRail 'rip-off' rail fares condemned as tickets increase by 2.8%|publisher=BBC|date=2 January 2019|access-date=2 January 2019}}
24 January – Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond is arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and two charges of attempted rape.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-46984747|title=Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond arrested|publisher=BBC|date=24 January 2019|access-date=24 January 2019}}
19 February – The youth was found guilty through a unanimous verdict for the abduction, rape and murder of six-year-old Alesha MacPhail on the 2 July 2018. Lord Matthews described the events as "committing some of the most wicked and evil crimes this court has ever heard of in decades of dealing with depravity." The judge also agreed to reverse the naming restriction due to the ‘unique’ nature of the case - the first in Scottish history - and the defendant is named as 16-year-old Aaron Campbell.{{Cite news |date=2019-02-21 |title=Alesha MacPhail murder: Boy, 16, found guilty |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-47322658 |access-date=2025-03-23 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |last=Brooks |first=Libby |date=2019-02-22 |title=Teenage murderer of Alesha MacPhail named as Aaron Campbell |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/22/alesha-macphail-teenager-named-as-aaron-campbell |access-date=2025-03-23 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
24 February – The new BBC Scotland channel has five of the top ten most-watched programmes across Scotland on its Sunday launch night.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47361680 |title=New BBC Scotland channel peaks at 700,000 viewers on launch night |work=BBC News |date=25 February 2019|access-date=25 February 2019}}
19 March – Scotland's unemployment rate is reported to have fallen to a new record low of 3.4% between November and January, well below the UK average of 3.9%.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-47639407 |title=Scotland's unemployment rate hits new low at 3.4% |work=BBC News |date=19 March 2019|access-date=19 March 2019}}
20 March – The Scottish economy grew by 0.3% in the final three months of 2018 compared to a figure of 0.2% for the UK as a whole.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-47624917 |title=Scottish economy continues to grow |work=BBC News |date=20 March 2019|access-date=20 March 2019}}
21 March – Aaron Campbell was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 27 years for the murder of six-year-old Alesha MacPhail. Lord Matthews said Campbell's crime had caused "revulsion and disbelief" and described Campbell as a "cold, callous, calculating, remorseless and dangerous individual".{{Cite news |date=2019-03-21 |title=Alesha MacPhail murder: Life sentence for Aaron Campbell after he admits guilt |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-47644414 |access-date=2025-03-23 |language=en-GB}}
29 March – The final episode of the popular sitcom Still Game is broadcast on BBC Scotland.{{cite web |title=Still Game final episode: Faceless favourite revealed as sitcom ends |url=https://www.scotsman.com/regions/glasgow-and-strathclyde/still-game-final-episode-faceless-favourite-revealed-sitcom-ends-1421017 |website=www.scotsman.com |date=29 March 2019 |access-date=30 December 2020 |language=en}}
1 April – New legislation known as Frank's Law – extending free personal care to under-65s living with disabilities and degenerative conditions – has come into effect.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-47741175|title=Frank's Law: From petition to policy|date=1 April 2019|work=BBC News|access-date=1 April 2019}}
23 May – 2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom is held. Results are announced on 27 May after the polls close in all EU member states. In the Scotland constituency, the Scottish National Party wins the popular vote with 594,553 votes and has the highest share of the vote with 37.8%, finishing in sixth place overall and returning 3 MEPs.
6 June – Natalie McGarry, former SNP MP for Glasgow East is jailed for 18 months having earlier pleaded guilty to charges of embezzlement. In total, she stole more than £25,000, including donations for a local food bank, spending the funds on rent and a holiday in Spain.{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/06/former-mp-stole-25000-charities-foodbanks-jailed-9841938/|title=Former MP who stole £25,000 from charities and foodbanks is jailed|date=6 June 2019|work=Metro|location=London}}{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/06/former-snp-mp-natalie-mcgarry-jailed-embezzling-thousands-pro/|title=Former SNP MP Natalie McGarry jailed for embezzling thousands from pro-independence groups|first=Auslan|last=Cramb|date=6 June 2019|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London}}
16–28 July – Scotland hosted the 2019 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship.{{cite web |title=UEFA Women's Under-19 EURO Draw Held in Glasgow |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/uefa-womens-under-19-euro-draw-held-in-glasgow/ |website=www.scottishfa.co.uk |access-date=30 December 2020}}
12 October – Plastic-stemmed cotton buds are prohibited in Scotland.{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2019/271/made|website=legislation.gov.uk|title=The Environmental Protection (Cotton Buds) (Scotland) Regulations 2019|series=Scottish Statutory Instruments no. 271|date=2019-08-29|access-date=2020-08-10}}
3 November – Scottish Conservative MP Ross Thomson announces he will not stand for re-election following claims by Scottish Labour MP Paul Sweeney of 'groping' in the Palace of Westminster.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-50280977|title=Tory MP Ross Thomson quits after 'grope' claim by Labour MP Paul Sweeney|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|date=3 November 2019|access-date=3 November 2019}}
12 December – At the 2019 UK general election, the Scottish National Party wins a landslide in Scotland, winning 48 of the 59 seats. Their victory is not as large as it was in 2015, but the Scottish Lib Dems replace Scottish Labour as the third party, pushing Labour into fourth place with one seat.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50766014|title=Scotland election results 2019: SNP wins election landslide in Scotland|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|date=13 December 2019|access-date=14 December 2019}} Jo Swinson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, loses her East Dunbartonshire UK Parliament constituency seat to Amy Callaghan of the Scottish National Party by 150 votes.
18 December – Michael Matheson, Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, announces that it will exercise a break clause in the Abellio ScotRail railway passenger service franchise in March 2022.{{cite news|title=Abellio ScotRail contract to end three years early|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50841814|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|date=2019-12-18|access-date=2020-01-03}}
28 December – Highest ever maximum temperature for December in the UK, 18.7 °C, recorded at Achfary in the Highlands.Subject to verification. {{cite web|title=New maximum temperature for December recorded in Highlands|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-50961612?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c0jvxjq25q3t/met-office&link_location=live-reporting-story|work=BBC News|date=2019-12-31|access-date=2020-01-03}}

Deaths

1 January – Freddie Glidden, 91, footballer (Hearts, Dumbarton).{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11790/11597262/hearts-great-freddie-glidden-dies-aged-91|title=Hearts great Freddie Glidden dies aged 91|website=Sky Sports}}
19 January – Ted McKenna, 68, drummer (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band).{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/ted-mckenna-drummer-with-rory-gallagher-sahb-michael-schenker-dead-at-68|title=Ted McKenna, drummer with Rory Gallagher, SAHB, Michael Schenker, dead at 68|first=Fraser Lewry 2019-01-19T13:17:16Z Classic|last=Rock|website=Classic Rock Magazine|date=19 January 2019 }}
22 January – Andrew Fairlie, 55, chef.{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17375218.gleneagles-chef-andrew-fairlie-dies-aged-55/|title=Gleneagles chef Andrew Fairlie dies after long-term brain tumour battle|website=HeraldScotland|date=22 January 2019 }}
24 January – Hugh McIlvanney, 84, sports writer (The Sunday Times).{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jan/25/hugh-mcilvanney-veteran-sports-reporter-dies-aged-84|title=Hugh McIlvanney, doyen of sportswriting, dies aged 84|first=Sean|last=Ingle|date=25 January 2019|work=The Guardian}}
10 March – Angus Sinclair, 73, serial killer.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-40721755|title=World's End serial killer Angus Sinclair dies|work=BBC News|date=11 March 2019}}
16 November – John Campbell Brown, 72, Astronomer Royal for Scotland (since 1995).{{cite web|title=Prof. John Brown, OBE (1947–2019)|url=http://www.astro.gla.ac.uk/?p=5149|publisher=University of Glasgow|date=18 November 2019}}

References

Category:2010s in Scotland

Category:Years of the 21st century in Scotland

*Scotland

2019 in Scotland

Incumbents

Events

Deaths

See also

References