2 January –
Abellio ScotRail announces average rail fare increases of 2.8%, lower than the average 3.1% increase announced for England and Wales.[1]
24 January – Former Scottish
First MinisterAlex Salmond is arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and two charges of attempted rape.[2]
24 February – The new
BBC Scotland channel has five of the top ten most-watched programmes across Scotland on its Sunday launch night.[3]
19 March – Scotland's unemployment rate is reported to have fallen to a new record low of 3.4% between November and January, well below the UK average of 3.9%.[4]
20 March – The Scottish economy grew by 0.3% in the final three months of 2018 compared to a figure of 0.2% for the UK as a whole.[5]
1 April – New legislation known as Frank's Law – extending free personal care to under-65s living with disabilities and degenerative conditions – has come into effect.[7]
6 June –
Natalie McGarry, former
SNP MP for
Glasgow East is jailed for 18 months having earlier pleaded guilty to charges of embezzlement. In total, she stole more than £25,000, including donations for a local food bank, spending the funds on rent and a holiday in
Spain.[8][9]
12 October – Plastic-stemmed
cotton buds are prohibited in Scotland.[11]
3 November – Scottish Conservative MP
Ross Thomson announces he will not stand for re-election following claims by Scottish Labour MP
Paul Sweeney of 'groping' in the Palace of Westminster.[12]
2 January –
Abellio ScotRail announces average rail fare increases of 2.8%, lower than the average 3.1% increase announced for England and Wales.[1]
24 January – Former Scottish
First MinisterAlex Salmond is arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and two charges of attempted rape.[2]
24 February – The new
BBC Scotland channel has five of the top ten most-watched programmes across Scotland on its Sunday launch night.[3]
19 March – Scotland's unemployment rate is reported to have fallen to a new record low of 3.4% between November and January, well below the UK average of 3.9%.[4]
20 March – The Scottish economy grew by 0.3% in the final three months of 2018 compared to a figure of 0.2% for the UK as a whole.[5]
1 April – New legislation known as Frank's Law – extending free personal care to under-65s living with disabilities and degenerative conditions – has come into effect.[7]
6 June –
Natalie McGarry, former
SNP MP for
Glasgow East is jailed for 18 months having earlier pleaded guilty to charges of embezzlement. In total, she stole more than £25,000, including donations for a local food bank, spending the funds on rent and a holiday in
Spain.[8][9]
12 October – Plastic-stemmed
cotton buds are prohibited in Scotland.[11]
3 November – Scottish Conservative MP
Ross Thomson announces he will not stand for re-election following claims by Scottish Labour MP
Paul Sweeney of 'groping' in the Palace of Westminster.[12]