1988 in Scotland

Incumbents

• Monarch – Elizabeth II
• Secretary of State for Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal – Malcolm Rifkind

  Law officers

• Lord Advocate – Lord Cameron of Lochbroom
• Solicitor General for Scotland – Peter Fraser

  Judiciary

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

  Events

• March – Seafield Colliery at Kirkcaldy closes.
• 26 April–26 September – Glasgow Garden Festival. Bell's Bridge is built in connection with it.
• 21 May – "Sermon on the Mound": Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, addresses the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
• 6 July – Piper Alpha oil rig in the North Sea explodes and results in the death of 167 workers.
• 7 August – Scotland on Sunday newspaper launched.
• 2 November – Housing Act 1988, receives Royal Assent.
• 10 November – The Scottish National Party win the Glasgow Govan by-election from Labour with a swing of 33%.
• 21 December – Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over the town of Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, and kills a total of 270 people – including all 259 on board. It is believed that the cause of the explosion was a terrorist bomb.

  Births

• 7 January – Alan Lowing, footballer
• 21 July – Chris Mitchell, footballer
• 5 December – Omar Raza, actor
• 30 December – Leon Jackson, pop singer

  Deaths

• 11 February – Marion Crawford, Scottish educator and governess to Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth II
• 12 April – Harry McShane, socialist
• 26 August – Oscar Marzaroli, photographer

  The Arts

• August – The Proclaimers release their album Sunshine on Leith with lead single "I'm Gonna Be ".