1980 in Scotland

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Secretary of State for Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal – George Younger

  Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Lord Mackay of Clashfern
• Solicitor General for Scotland – Nicholas Fairbairn

  Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General – Lord Emslie
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Wheatley
• Chairman of the Scottish Land Court – Lord Elliott

  Events

• 16 April – Glasgow Subway reopened to passengers after a 3-year modernisation project.
• 1 May – Scottish District local elections result in big gains for the Labour Party.
• 7 May – Aberdeen F.C. secures the Scottish Football League Premier Division championship.
• 26 June – The Glasgow Central by-election is held, with Labour retaining the seat despite a 14% swing to the Scottish National Party.
• 1 August – The Education Act 1980 receives Royal Assent.
• 4–5 September – Margaret Thatcher becomes the first serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to visit Shetland.
• 13 September – Hercules, a bear which had gone missing on the island of Benbecula while filming a Kleenex advertisement, is found.
• 6 October – West Highland Way opened as the first of the official Long Distance Routes for walkers in Scotland.
• 9 October – Gloagtrotter of Perth, trading as GT Coaches, begins operation of an express coach service from Dundee to London as The Stage Coach, origin of the Stagecoach Group.
• October – Albion Motors' Scotstoun works closes and manufacture of complete vehicles is moved to Leyland in England.
• 13 November – Criminal Justice Act 1980 which would decriminalise private homosexual acts between two consenting persons aged over 21 in Scotland passes at Westminster. It would take effect on 1 February 1981.

  Births

• 5 January – Greg McHugh, television actor/writer
• 5 February – Jo Swinson, leader of the Liberal Democrats
• 2 April – Adam Fleming, television journalist
• 12 May – Andrew Abercromby, biomedical engineer
• 6 July – Kenny Deuchar, footballer
• 15 September – Chris Clark, footballer
• 26 October – Khalid Abdalla, actor
• 20 November – Malachy Tallack, journalist and folk rock musician
• Kerry Hudson, writer

  Deaths

• 19 February – Bon Scott, Australian rock singer
• 29 February – Margaret Morris, choreographer
• May – Isla Cameron, actress and singer
• 23 June – John Laurie, actor
• 6 December – Margot Bennett, crime novelist
• 13 December – R. D. Low, comics writer and editor
• Hector MacAndrew, fiddler

  The arts

• 19 February – Scottish Television begins to air the soap opera Take the High Road.
• Spring – Bearsden post-punk band Orange Juice release Falling and Laughing, the first release on the Postcard Records label.
• June – Peter Maxwell Davies's The Yellow Cake Revue is premiered at the Stromness Hotel as part of the St Magnus Festival.
• Alexander Moffat paints .
• Buxton Orr composes A Caledonian Suite.