1972 in Scotland

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Secretary of State for Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal – Gordon Campbell

  Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Norman Wylie
• Solicitor General for Scotland – David Brand until November; then William Stewart

  Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General – Lord Clyde until 25 April; then Lord Emslie
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Grant, then Lord Wheatley
• Chairman of the Scottish Land Court – Lord Birsay

  Events

• 11 February – Rockall is formally claimed as part of Scotland.
• 24 May – Rangers F.C. wins the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with a 3-2 win over Soviet side FC Dynamo Moscow in Barcelona.
• 25 August – Kilbirnie Street fire in Glasgow: 7 firemen killed in a flashover.
• 1 September – Raising of school-leaving age from fifteen to sixteen for pupils leaving school at the end of the academic year, in common with the rest of the UK.
• 5 October – last ship launched at the former John Brown & Company Clydebank yard, Clyde-class bulk grain carrier MV Alisa.
• December – Gartnavel General Hospital opens in Glasgow.
• Anderston Centre opens in Glasgow.
• Wendy Wood stages a hunger strike for home rule.
• Highland Wildlife Park opened near Kingussie to display native species.
• The West Highland Free Press newspaper is founded at Broadford, Skye.
• Hamilton Academy closes

  Births

• 25 March – Phil O'Donnell, footballer
• 8 April – Lisa Cameron, Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, 2015-, and clinical psychologist
• 9 April – Neve McIntosh, actress
• 10 April – Gordon Buchanan, wildlife film-maker
• 1 May – Patrick Grant, men's fashion designer
• 15 May – Danny Alexander, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, 2005–15
• 2 August – Carol Monaghan, Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for Glasgow North West, 2015-
• 16 August – Frankie Boyle, comedian
• 17 August – David Ralph, field hockey forward
• 14 September – Jenny Colgan, novelist
• 2 October – John Anderson, footballer
• 20 October – Debbie McLeod, field hockey goalkeeper
• 29 November – Willie Bain, Scottish Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Glasgow North East, 2009-

  Deaths

• 15 March – Jimmy Simpson, international footballer
• 28 March – Duncan Campbell, revivalist
• 4 June – David Ross Lauder, recipient of the Victoria Cross
• 19 November – William Grant, Lord Grant, serving Lord Justice Clerk and former Lord Advocate
• 30 November – Compton Mackenzie, novelist and Scottish nationalist
• 27 December – John Kerr, cricketer
• Jimmy MacBeath, folk singer

  The arts

• George Mackay Brown's novel Greenvoe is published.
• The Average White Band is formed in Dundee.
• The pipe band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards release their instrumental recording of "Amazing Grace" which reaches No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in April.