2026 in Scotland

← 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2026 in Scotland → 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Centuries:	19th 20th 21st
Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	List of years in Scotland Timeline of Scottish history 2026 in: The UK • England • Wales • Elsewhere Scottish football: 2025–26 2026 in Scottish television

Events from the year 2026 in Scotland.

Events

January

• 1 January –
  • Major reforms to Scotland's justice system, including scrapping the not proven verdict, come into force. ^[1]
  • The Met Office issues an amber weather warning for heavy snow in parts of northern Scotland for Friday 2 January and Saturday 3 January. ^[2]
• 2 January – Heavy snow causes disruption, including train cancellations to and from Thurso. ^[3]
• 4 January – A new amber weather alert for heavy snow comes into force for northern Scotland, starting at 6pm and lasting until 10am on Monday 5 January. A number of schools in Aberdeenshire, Shetland and Orkney due to return from the Christmas holiday postpone their reopening, while schools in Aberdeen are scheduled to have a late start. ^[4]
• 5 January –
  • First Minister John Swinney proposes 15 June 2026 as a national bank holiday to coincide with Scotland's first World Cup match since 1998, which will occur on 14 June when they play Haiti. ^[5]
  • Fresh warning for ice and snow covering all of Scotland are issued for Tuesday 6 January. ^[6]
  • Wilfried Nancy resigns as manager of Celtic F.C. after losing six of the eight games he has presided over since taking up the role in December. Former manager Martin O'Neill returns for the remainder of the season. ^[7]
• 6 January –
  • Aberdeenshire Council declares a major incident following several days of heavy snow in north east Scotland. ^[8]
  • A Parliamentary investigation finds that Justice Secretary Angela Constance broke the ministerial code after making controversial comments about a grooming gangs expert in parliament. ^[9]
  • The Scottish Parliament confirms that MSPs will receive a 4.3% pay rise from April, taking their annual income from £74,507 to £77,710. ^[10]
  • Launch date of STV Radio, with Ewen Cameron and Cat Harvey presenting the weekday breakfast show. ^{[11] [12] [13]}
• 7 January –
  • Plans for a new Scottish Dark Sky Observatory are submitted more than four years after the old one was destroyed by fire. ^[14]
  • Plans are unveiled to add a public hall to the east wing of Dumfries House in Cumnock, East Ayrshire, which currently serves as the headquarters of the King's Foundation. The venue would be hired out for weddings. ^[15]
• 8 January –
  • MSPs vote 65–54 in favour of the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill, which proposes raising about £30m in tax on housebuilding. ^[16]
  • Several thousand starfish are unexplainedly washed up at Wardie Bay in Granton, where they are discovered by swimmers. ^[17]
• 9 January –
  • Resident doctors in Scotland call off a planned four-day strike, scheduled to begin on Tuesday 13 January, following a renewed pay offer, which will be put to British Medical Association members via a ballot. ^[18]
  • Stella Maris, the rector of St Andrews University, is removed from her role as president of the university court for allegedly failing to follow governance rules. ^[19]
  • Storm Goretti: As the north and northeast of Scotland experiences its ninth day of snow, a further yellow alart for snow is issued covering Saturday 10 January and Sunday 11 January. ^[20]
• 10 January – The severe weather warning for Scotland is upgraded to amber with more snow expected on Sunday 11 January. ^[21]
• 11 January – Heavy rain and melting snow bring flooding to parts of Scotland as temperatures rise following a week of cold weather. ^[22]
• 12 January – Thomas Craig, who tried to kill another man on a train with a smashed glass bottle, is sentenced to 12 years in prison. ^[23]
• 13 January – Finance Secretary Shona Robison delivers the 2026 Scottish budget, which includes changes to tax thresholds, an increase in taxation on residential properties worth over £1m and an increase in the Scottish Child Payment. ^[24]
• 15 January – Malcolm Offord is announced as the leader of Reform UK in Scotland. ^[25]
• 16 January – A £50m lawsuit against the Scottish Government over its failed deposit return scheme (DRS) is rejected following a legal hearing. ^[26]
• 19 January – Scottish singer-songwriter Jacob Alon is named as the winner of the 2026 Brits Critics' Choice Award. ^[27]
• 20 January – Liridon Kastrati is sentenced to ten years in prison for the attempted murder of a police officer who he chased with a chainsaw in Paisley, Renfrewshire, in May 2024. ^[28]
• 21 January – The Met Office issues an amber weather warning for heavy rain for parts of Scotland, which is in place from midnight on 22 January until 4pm on the same day. ^[29]
• 22 January – A coroner's inquest urges better signing at an area of the Brecon Beacons known as Waterfall Country following the deaths of three people there during two separate incidents. ^[30]
• 23 January –
  • At a hearing at Glasgow Court of Justiciary, Ethan O'Kane is sentenced to six and a half years in prison over his part in an April 2023 attack on former housing association chairman John McLardie, who died several months after striking his head on the pavement in Glasgow. ^[31]
  • Water bills in Scotland will rise by 8.7% from April, an average of £42 a year. ^[32]
• 24 January – Heavy rain causes disruption in the Central Belt, with a yellow weather warning for further rain in north eastern Scotland on Sunday 25 January. ^[33]
• 26 January –
  • Scottish Conservative councillor for Dunoon ward Daniel Hampsey defects to Reform UK. ^[34]
  • An inquest into the death of former Scotland and Manchester United footballer Gordon McQueen rules it is likely that repeatedly heading the ball led to his brain damage and eventual death. ^[35]
• 27 January – Brewdog announces it is to stop making spirits at its distillery in Aberdeenshire. ^[36]
• 30 January – Tesco says it has suspended its use of a salmon farm in Skye following reports from an animal welfare charity that diseased fish were dumped into a sea loch and that five salmon were left to suffocate before they were processed. ^[37]

February

• 1 February – Sandy Brindley, the founder and chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, announces she will step down from the post after 24 years. ^[38]

Predicted and scheduled

• No later than 7 May – 2026 Scottish Parliament election ^[39]
• 23 July to 2 August – 2026 Commonwealth Games ^{[40] [41]}
• 9 October – Opening of Nelson Mandela statue in Glasgow. ^[42]

Deaths

• 11 January – John Wallace, 76, Scottish trumpeter, composer and arts educator. ^[43]
• 12 January – Eddie McCreadie, 85, Scottish football player (Chelsea, national team) and manager (Chelsea). ^[44]
• 29 January – Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, 71, Scottish politician, acting first minister (2000, 2001) and deputy first minister (1999–2005), complications from surgery. ^[45]

References

1. "Not proven verdict to be scrapped in new trials from 1 January". BBC News. BBC. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
2. McCool, Mary (1 January 2026). "Snow alerts upgraded to amber as Scots warned of blizzard conditions". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
3. McCool, Mary (2 January 2026). "Trains cancelled and roads treacherous as heavy snow hits Scotland". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
4. "Schools to stay shut as new amber snow alerts issued". BBC News. BBC. 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
5. "Public holiday to celebrate Scotland's World Cup return". BBC News. BBC. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
6. Bonar, Megan (5 January 2026). "Amber alert for north as snow warning extended across Scotland". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
7. "O'Neill returns to Celtic for rest of season". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
8. Banks, Ken; Bonar, Megan; Scott, Katy (5 January 2026). "Aberdeenshire Council declares major incident as snow continues to fall". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
9. Cochrane, Angus (6 January 2026). "Angela Constance found to have breached ministerial code". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
10. "MSPs to get £3,000 pay increase next year". BBC News. BBC. 6 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
11. Martin, Roy (18 December 2025). "STV Radio confirms January launch and schedule". Radio Today. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
12. Jackson, Lucy (23 December 2025). "'We are angry': STV staff to go on strike in New Year over cuts and job losses". The National . Retrieved 1 January 2026.
13. Martin, Roy (6 January 2026). "STV promised a radio miracle in Scotland.. and delivered". Radio Today. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
14. Rinaldi, Giancarlo (7 January 2026). "New Scottish Dark Sky Observatory plans submitted". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
15. "King's Ayrshire estate to host luxury weddings". BBC News. BBC. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
16. Cochrane, Angus (8 January 2026). "Scottish Parliament backs new tax on housebuilding". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
17. Brown, Angie (8 January 2026). "Mystery over mass stranding of thousands of starfish on Edinburgh beach". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
18. "Doctors strike called off in Scotland as union backs latest pay deal". BBC News. BBC. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
19. "St Andrews University rector removed from court role". BBC News. BBC. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
20. Banks, Ken (9 January 2026). "New weather warnings as snow grips north of Scotland for ninth day". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
21. Russell, Benjamin (10 January 2026). "Snow alert upgraded to Amber with more Scottish weather warnings". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
22. Russell, Benjamin; Hastie, Paul (11 January 2026). "Weather risk brings flooding as snow warnings downgraded". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
23. "Bottle attacker jailed for 12 years for attempted murder on train". BBC News. BBC. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
24. Cochrane, Angus (12 January 2026). "Scottish Budget: Income tax changes announced for 2026-27". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
25. "Nigel Farage names Lord Malcolm Offord as Reform UK's Scottish leader". BBC News. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
26. SIm, Phil; Delaney, James (16 January 2026). "Court throws out Biffa's £50m claim over failed bottle return scheme". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
27. Clarke, Naomi (19 January 2026). "Brits Critics' Choice: Jacob Alon crowned winner". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
28. "Man jailed for 10 years after chainsaw murder bid on police officer". BBC News. BBC. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
29. "'High risk' of travel disruption after amber rain warning issued". BBC News. BBC. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
30. Bird, Nelli (22 January 2026). "Three people die at same Brecon Beacons beauty spot as warning issued". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
31. "Man jailed for killing stranger in Glasgow street attack". BBC News. BBC. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
32. "Scottish Water bills to rise by 8.7% from April". BBC News. BBC. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
33. "Flooding hits central belt amid warning for more heavy rain". BBC News. BBC. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
34. "Scottish Conservative councillor defects to Reform UK". The National. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
35. Austin, Daniel; Gornall, Katie (26 January 2026). "Gordon McQueen death: Inquest finds heading 'likely' to have contributed to brain disease". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
36. "Brewdog to stop making spirits at Ellon distillery". BBC News. BBC. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
37. "Tesco suspends salmon farm in Skye after claims diseased fish dumped in loch". BBC News. BBC. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
38. "Head of Rape Crisis Scotland steps down after 24 years". BBC News. BBC. 1 February 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
39. "Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
40. Brooks, Libby (17 September 2024). "Glasgow to host 2026 Commonwealth Games after rescue deal agreed". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
41. "Scotland agrees to host Commonwealth Games in 2026, after Bangkok bid withdrawal". BBC News . 17 July 2023. Archived from the original on 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
42. "Winning design for Nelson Mandela statue in Glasgow revealed". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC . Retrieved 14 January 2026.
43. "Obituary: John Wallace, 1949-2026" (Press release). London Symphony Orchestra. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
44. "Eddie McCreadie – 1940-2026". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
45. "Former deputy first minister Jim Wallace dies of complications after surgery". The Scotsman. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 29 January 2026.