Events from the year 1951 in Scotland.
Incumbents
Secretary of State for Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal – Hector McNeil until 26 October; then James Stuart
Law officers Lord Advocate – John Thomas Wheatley until November; then James Latham Clyde Solicitor General for Scotland – Douglas Johnston until November; then William Rankine Milligan
Judiciary Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General – Lord Cooper Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Thomson Chairman of the Scottish Land Court – Lord Gibson
Events 11 April – The Stone of Scone is located in Arbroath Abbey having been stolen by Scottish nationalists. 12 May – Remains of Gunnister Man found in a peat bog in Shetland. 18–26 May – Festival of Britain: Festival Ship Campania on view in Dundee (King George V Dock). 25 May–8 September – Festival of Britain: Living Traditions exhibition presented at the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, by the Council of Industrial Design. 28 May–18 August – Festival of Britain: Exhibition of Industrial Power in Glasgow (opened by The Princess Elizabeth). 18 September–6 October – Festival of Britain: Festival Ship Campania on view in Glasgow (Springfield Dock). 26 October – 1951 United Kingdom general election: The Conservative Party and allies narrowly defeat Labour in Scotland and across the UK; this is the last election in which the Conservatives do better in Scotland than in England. 30 October – James Stuart is appointed Secretary of State for Scotland; he will hold office until January 1957. November – Ecurie Ecosse motor racing team founded by Edinburgh businessman and racing driver David Murray and mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson. 7 November – first floodlit Association football match in Scotland, a Stenhousemuir v. Hibernian F.C. friendly at the former's Ochilview Park. 24 November – Beinn Eighe becomes Britain's first national nature reserve. Publication of The Third Statistical Account of Scotland commences with the volume for Ayrshire.
Births 2 February – Ken Bruce, radio broadcaster 7 February – Eddie Kelly, footballer 20 February – Gordon Brown, Labour politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 2007–10 4 March – Kenny Dalglish, international footballer and manager 25 April – Ian McCartney, Labour politician 6 May – Davey Johnstone, rock guitarist 17 July – Doug Allan, wildlife cameraman (died 2026 in Nepal) 9 August – James Naughtie, print and radio journalist 22 August – Alex Neil, Scottish National Party MSP and government minister 16 September – Judith Miller, antiques expert (died 2023) 23 September – Andrew Greig, author 26 September – Stuart Tosh, born Stuart MacIntosh, rock musician 28 September – Jim Diamond, singer-songwriter (died 2015) 17 November – Jack Vettriano, born Jack Hoggan, painter (died 2025 in France) 19 November – Charles Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, Labour politician and Lord Chancellor 15 December – Joe Jordan, international footballer and manager 20 December – Peter May, fiction writer 22 December – Jim McColl, entrepreneur Michael Scott Rohan, fantasy writer
Deaths 3 January – Peter McBride, footballer (born 1877) 15 January - Ebenezer James MacRae architect, City Architect for Edinburgh 29 January – James Bridie (O. H. Mavor), playwright (born 1888) 3 May – Sir Thomas Henderson, Liberal politician (born 1874) 16 May – James Greenlees, rugby union footballer, educationalist and soldier (born 1878) 9 September – Andrew Blain Baird, engineer and aviation pioneer (born 1862) 1 October – Peter McWilliam, international footballer and manager (born 1879) 11 October – Donald Cameron, 25th Lochiel, chief of Clan Cameron (born 1876)
The arts 19 May – Pitlochry Festival Theatre opens in a tent with the British première of Maxwell Anderson’s Mary of Scotland. School of Scottish Studies founded.
See also 1951 in Northern Ireland
References