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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
2 February –
The Scottish Government says it will not support the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill, a bill tabled by Independent MSP Ash Regan that would criminalise payment for sex.[39]
The Met Office issues a yellow weather warning for fresh snowfall and high winds, which is in force from midnight on Monday 2 February until 3pm on Wednesday 4 February.[40]
3 February – MSPs reject the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill by 64 votes to 54.[41]
5 February –
The King grants Scotland a one-off extra Bank Holiday for Monday 15 June to coincide with Scotland's first FIFA World Cup match since 1998, which takes place the day before.[42]
Fashion retailer Quiz enters administration for the third time in six years, with 109 jobs at risk.[43]
MSPs back the Non-surgical Procedures and Functions of Medical Reviewers (Scotland) Bill, which would see the introduction of restrictions on cosmetic procedures including botox injections and non-surgical Brazilian butt lifts.[44]
6 February – Nicola Christiano, who attempted to rape a female passenger on an easyJet flight from Naples to Edinburgh in May 2025, is sentenced to six years in prison.[45]
The Scottish Government has paid around £400,000 to the campaign group For Women Scotland after it lost a legal case brought by the group over the definition of a woman.[47]
Newspaper publisher Reach announces the closure of its Glasgow printing works, with the loss of 100 jobs, with operations to be transferred to Oldham in Lancashire.[48]
Scottish rocket manufacturer Orbex announces its intention to appoint administrators after failing to secure funding, a merger or a buyer.[50]
12 February – Aberdeen's longest period without sunshine since records began comes to an end, with the last sunny period in the city recorded on 21 January.[51]
13 February –
It emerges that former Scottish National Party chief executive Peter Murrell is to face charges of embezzling £459,000 from the party over a period of twelve years.[52]
The return of the MV Glen Sannox, which has been out of action for three months, is delayed for a further week because of a fault with its anchor mechanism.[53]
14 February –
It is reported that the Scottish Government is taking legal action against 250 dentists for not treating enough patients after receiving bursaries.[54]
15 February – It is reported that transgender doctor Beth Upton, who was at the centre of the Peggie v NHS Fife legal case, has stopped working for the NHS.[56]
17 February – Appeal judges overturn Scottish Government approval of the Wull Muir windfarm in the Borders region, which has been rejected on three previous occasions.[57]
20 February – Scottish Water warns the residents of the Perthshire village of Killin not to use tap water for anything but flushing the toilet after an attempted fuel theft at a petrol station lead to contamination of a local water treatment works.[58]
24 February – MSPs reject the Scottish Parliament (Recall and Removal of Members) Bill, which would have introduced a recall system for MPs suspended from parliament for ten days or longer.[62]
25 February –
MSPs vote 66–29 to approve the £68bn 2026 Scottish budget, which includes changes to income tax rates and levies on properties.[63]
The Scottish Government orders an inquiry into grooming gangs.[64]
Former gamekeeper David Campbell is found guilty of the murder of Brian Low, a colleague who he shot dead on a path in Highland Perthshire in February 2024, before attempting to cover his tracks.[66]
27 February – Police Scotland confirm that two people were rescued and a third died following a joint operation with mountain rescue on An Teallach, Wester Ross, on 19 February.[67]
Sally Donald, an SNP candidate in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election, stands down after it emerges she is being investigated for benefit fraud.[70]
7 March – Iran war: First Minister John Swinney says he is willing to consider banning US military aircraft from using Prestwick Airport if they are taking part in airstrikes on the Middle East.[71]
Police Scotland make a number of arrests after fans and police officers were injured during a pitch invasion at Ibrox stadium following a football match between Celtic and Rangers.[73]
Glasgow Central railway station remains closed following the previous day's fire, while Network Rail warns that travel disruption will remain for several days.[76]
Police Scotland confirm that nine people have been arrested following the previous day's pitch invasion at Ibrox statium.[77]
A review finds that Scottish Parliament staff have reported 84 cases of bullying, Harassment or sexual harassment since 2021.[81]
13 March –
Glasgow City Council begins demolition work on the B-listed Victorian Union Corner building next to Glasgow Central railway station following the fire which left it in a dangerous state, with Network Rail saying that the railway station will be closed until at least Wednesday 18 March.[82]
Serenity Francis Johnston, a transgender woman who carried out sex attacks against a number of girls, is sentenced to nine years in prison.[83]
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