Test your knowledge with The Scotsman's Big Boxing Day quiz of the year

1 The UK Government announced controversial plans to house asylum seekers at which barracks in Scotland?

2 Which Scottish football legend, known as the King, died in January this year?

3 Donald Trump visited Scotland in July to open his latest golf course. What is it called?

4 Nicola Sturgeon published her hotly-anticipated memoir this year. What was it called?

5 Two Scottish popstars received honorary degrees from the Open University in October - who?

6 The world’s largest wind farm was given the go-ahead off the east coast of Scotland this year. What is it called?

7 Who did Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher call a ‘bunch of snakes’ as his band played Murrayfield this year?

8 What is being abolished from Scottish law from January 1?

9 The National Library was at the centre of a storm after ‘banning’ a gender-critical book from a landmark exhibition. What is the name of the book?

10 The UK announced a £10bn deal to build Norwegian warships where on the Clyde?

AROUND HOLYROOD

1 Which former Tory MSP defected to Reform UK in August?

2 Which veteran MSP announced he was no longer a member of the SNP and revealed plans to stand as an independent candidate at the election?

3 Davy Russell secured a surprise Labour win in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election - but what was his majority?

4 The Scottish Government announced its planned bond scheme, the equivalent of UK gilts. What has it been nicknamed?

5 Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced her intention to stand down, but which seat does she represent?

6 Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur hailed a ‘landmark moment’ in May when MSPs voted to back the general principles of which bill?

7 The Scottish Greens reported membership was on track to reach a record high. What did it stand at in October?

8 What did First Minister John Swinney announce was being scrapped in September in a boost for commuters?

9 Which Scottish government minister resigned after a clash in the chamber with Tory MSP Douglas Ross?

10 Who succeeded Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater as leaders of the Scottish Greens?

ARTS

1 Why did a major Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue have to close its doors during August for the first time in its history?

2 Who is to be honoured in the first ever memorial dedicated to a woman in Edinburgh's PrincesStreet Gardens in Edinburgh?

3 Which Scottish fashion designer is to feature in a Buckingham Palace exhibition dedicated to outfits worn by Queen Elizabeth II?

4 Why is the appointment of the newest Regius Keeper at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh significant?

5 Which well-known actor caused a stir when he hosted a cocktail making masterclass at the Edinburgh International Book Festival?

6 Which Glasgow theatre finally reopened this year after a seven year closure for refurbishment?

7 Stage play Make it Happen was a stand out hit at the Edinburgh International Festival, charting the downfall of Royal Bank of Scotland boss Fred Goodwin during the credit crunch of 2008. Who wrote it?

8 Which cult 1990s TV series starring a Scottish actor will be resurrected and turned into a stage musical next year, featuring the original cast?

9 Which Edinburgh Festival Fringe chief executive stepped down this year after nine years in the role?

10 A print by which artist who recently had a retrospective at the RSA in Edinburgh has been acquired for the nation by the National Galleries of Scotland for £33,000?

SPORT

1 How many goals did the Scotland national football team score in their World Cup qualifying campaign?

2 Can you name the six Scots currently playing in Serie A?

3 How many internationals did the Scotland rugby team win in 2025?

4 Who is the current Scotland cricket coach?

5 On which golf course did Bob MacIntyre help Europe win the Ryder Cup?

6 Who did Andy Murray coach at the 2025 Australian Open?

7 Aberdeen won the Scottish Cup in 2025 - before that, when was the last time they lifted the trophy?

8 How many men have taken charge of Rangers in 2025?

9 Who knocked out Glasgow Warriors from the 2024/25 Champions Cup?

10 How many sports will be at the 2026 Commonwealth Games?

SCOTS AT WESTMINSTER

1 How many Scottish MPs are currently UK Government ministers?

2 Ian Murray was sacked as Scottish Secretary in September but was back in Government a day later. Which departments were his new jobs in?

3 How many months was Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman without the Labour whip?

4 How many current MPs are standing for Holyrood next year?

5 Two Scottish MPs have been in office since 2001. Can you name them?

6 Who is older: Sir Keir Starmer or John Swinney?

7 Which senior UK Cabinet minister was born in Inverness?

8 Which former Scotland Office minister recently defected to Reform UK?

9 Who is the Conservatives’ Shadow Scottish Secretary?

10 Which UK Cabinet minister shared a kitchen job with John Swinney while studying at Edinburgh University?

SHOWBIZ

1 Which Netflix series examining so-called incel culture sparked a global conversation about social media and misogyny after it was released in March?

2 Which pop singer, known for singing about extra-terrestrials, was part of an all-female crew to reach space aboard Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket in April?

3.Austrian singer JJ won the Eurovision Song Contest in May. What was the name of his winning song?

4 TV couple Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty announced their separation in July. In which year did they marry?

5 At which stadium did Oasis perform their first gig together in 16 years as they kicked off their hotly anticipated tour in July?

6 Which pop superstar announced her engagement to her NFL player boyfriend in August?

7 Who broke Ant and Dec’s 23-year winning streak to be named best TV presenter at the National Television Awards in September?

8 Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced in October that they would be leaving Strictly Come Dancing. In which year did they first team up as co-hosts, making history as primetime television’s first female presenting duo?

9 Who won the 2025 Mercury Prize in October for his album People Watching?

10 Who was crowned the winner of the first series of Celebrity Traitors in November?

WHO SAID…

1 Which Friends star told an interviewer: “My mum was a divorce lawyer, and so I was the guy who would pop out of the bushes and serve you divorce papers”?

2 Who said of Israel and Iran: “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing”?

3 Which musician said this as they played two stadium gigs in Dublin? “This is the soberest I’ve ever been in Ireland.”

4 Name the cartoon character who said this in February: “Every day they ask me how big the baby is. When is it coming? Does it like dinosaurs and muddy puddles? It never stops.”

5 Which Royal said they posted anonymously on football forums saying: “I like going on the forums, I can be on there for ages”?

6 Who described being knighted by saying: “I am very chuffed. I am chuffed to the heavens, to the high walls of the castle. My mother is beaming like a lighthouse”?

7 Which actress said: “There’s 24 hours in a day, obviously. But I make sure that there are 26 for me”?

8 Who is actor Ewan McGregor describing meeting here: “I was so excited to meet her, but I kept swearing. I didn’t mean to, but I just kept dropping F-bombs all the time … I really let myself down”?

9 Which singer said this when asked what the best songs to have sex to were: “Anything by Marvin Gaye. Nothing by Rick Astley”?

10 Which author said she feared the plot of her dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale could come true, adding: “I don’t think we’re going to get the outfits, but the rest of it seems more and more plausible”?

WORLD

1 Which Greek holiday island was placed under a state of emergency amid a swarm of earthquakes that began in January?

2 In March, Nasa astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally returned to Earth after nine months on the International Space Station. How long had they expected to stay?

3 To what high-profile position was Robert Francis Prevost elected this year?

4 What natural disaster destroyed the alpine village of Blatten in Switzerland in May?

5 An Australian jury found Erin Patterson guilty of murder and attempted murder after serving her family what type of meal?

6 A two-day livestream captured the slow progress of what large structure in August as it was moved three miles across a Swedish city?

7 Where were the bones of British explorer Dennis Bell discovered after he was last seen in 1959?

8 In which US state was the university where high-profile conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead in September?

9 Which US technology giant because the first company in the world to reach a five trillion dollar market value in October?

10 Which former French president was found guilty of criminal conspiracy relating to campaign finances and jailed?

ODDS

1 What type of musical instrument crafted from a vegetable did the King play during a music reception at Windsor Castle?

2 Why were cows that graze on commons in central Cambridge given special GPS collars?

3 What was unusual about the Bourdon Street Chippy created by artist Lucy Sparrow in London’s Mayfair in July?

4 Hayley McAuley, from Wigan, took a mere nine minutes and 33 seconds to win what practical world title?

5 Why did the organiser of the Great North Run have to apologise about the medals given to this year’s participants?

6 Sophie Lloyd was admitted to which prestigious society, more than 30 years after being kicked out when she pretended to be a man to initially gain entry?

7 An alleged crocodile sighting in a canal in Derbyshire turned out to be what?

8 Scottish taxi driver Callum Maclean braved Storm Eowyn in what distinctive outfit despite winds of up to 100mph?

9 How did the Met Office explain a large glowing spiral visible in the night sky over the UK in March?

10 The hour hand of a chapel clock that was taken in a student prank and replaced with a cardboard copy 100 years ago was returned to which Cambridge University college?

ROYALS

1 The Duchess of Edinburgh celebrated which milestone birthday on January 20?

2 Who took a photograph of the Princess of Wales which was released to mark World Cancer Day in February?

3 The Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard was renamed to what in February?

4 Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his Prince and Duke of York titles in 2025. Name the Windsor home that he was also told to leave.

5 The Prince of Wales used his first message delivered in Welsh to say what?

6 In March the Duke of Sussex resigned from a charity he set up 20 years ago, saying he was “heartbroken”. Name the charity.

7 Which royal couple made it onto Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential philanthropists?

8 Which European leader enjoyed a state visit hosted in Windsor in July?

9 The first ever official UK coin to honour which royal was unveiled in celebration of their 75th birthday on August 15?

10 What was the venue in September for the first face-to-face meeting in 19 months between the King and the Duke of Sussex?

ANSWERS

SCOTTISH NEWS

1 Cameron Barracks in Inverness

2 Denis Law

3 MacLeod Course - named after the former US president’s Lewis-born mother, Mary

4 Frankly

5 Lorraine McIntosh and Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue

6 Berwick Bank

7 City of Edinburgh Council

8 The not proven verdict

9 The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheest

10 BAE Systems yard in Govan

AROUND HOLYROOD

1 Graham Simpson

2 Fergus Ewing

3 602

4 Kilts

5 Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch

6 Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill

7 8,279

8 Peak rail fares

9 Jamie Hepburn

10 Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay

ARTS

1 High winds as a result of Storm Floris caused The Pleasance courtyard to close for a day during the Fringe for the first time in its 41 year history

2 Muriel Spark

3 Christopher Kane

4 Dr Julia Knights, the former deputy director of London's Science Museum, is the first woman to hold the role. Dr Knights has been named as successor to Simon Milne, only the 17th person to hold the role in 355 years.5 Outlander star Sam Heughan's event at EIBF sold out within minutes of going on sale.

6 The Citizens Theatre

7 James Graham

8 The High Life

9 Shona McCarthy

10 Grayson Perry

SPORT

1 13

2 Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Che Adams, Lennon Miller, Josh Doig, Lewis Ferguson

3 6 - Wales, Italy, Maori All Blacks, Samoa, USA, Tonga

4 Owen Dawkins

5 Bethpage Black

6 Novak Djokovic

7 1990

8 Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson, Russell Martin, Danny Rohl

9 Leinster

10 10 - 3x3 Basketball, artistic gymnastics, athletics, bowls, boxing, cycling, judo, netball, swimming, weightlifting

SCOTS AT WESTMINSTER

1 Nine - Douglas Alexander, Ian Murray, Martin McCluskey, Michael Shanks, Blair McDougall, Zubir Ahmed, Kirsty McNeill, Gregor Poynton, Imogen Walker.

2 Culture, Media & Sport and Science.

3 Four - from July to November

4 Two - Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins.

5 Alistair Carmichael and Pete Wishart.

6 Sir Keir. The PM was born on 2 September 1962, while Mr Swinney was born on 13 April 1964.

7 Yvette Cooper

8 Malcolm Offord

9 Andrew Bowie.

10 Pat McFadden

SHOWBIZ

1 Adolescence.

2 Katy Perry.

3 Wasted Love.

4 2012.

5 Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

6 Taylor Swift (to Travis Kelce).

7 Gary Lineker.

8 2014.

9 Sam Fender.

10 Alan Carr.

WHO SAID

1 David Schwimmer.

2 US president Donald Trump.

3 Liam Gallagher.

4 Mummy Pig, from Peppa Pig, after she revealed she was pregnant with her third child.

5 William, the Prince of Wales.

6 Sir Stephen Fry.

7 Sydney Sweeney.

8 Celebrity cook Delia Smith.

9 Rick Astley.

10 Margaret Atwood.

WORLD

1 Santorini.

2 One week.

3 He became Pope Leo XIV, head of the Catholic Church.

4 It was buried in a glacial landslide.

5 A beef Wellington made with poisonous mushrooms.

6 The 100-year-old 672-tonne Kiruna church, which was at risk from ground subsidence.

7 Antarctica.

8 Utah.

9 US computer chip maker Nvidia.

10 Nicolas Sarkozy.

ODDS

1 A recorder made out of a carrot.

2 To stop them falling in the River Cam by using virtual fence technology.

3 Everything, including the food, was sewn from felt.

4 She built a bedside table in the quickest time to be named the first Flatpack World Champion.

5 They featured the wrong river and city – Sunderland and the Wear instead of Newcastle and the Tyne.

6 The Magic Circle.

7 The animal was a stuffed taxidermy model that had been dumped in the water.

8 He wore a full suit of armour as his alter ego the Falkirk Knight.

9 It was likely produced by a frozen plume of fuel from a SpaceX rocket launch in the US.

10 Gonville and Caius.

ROYAL

1 60th birthday.

2 Her son Prince Louis.

3 As Ever.

4 Royal Lodge.

5 Happy St David’s Day.

6 Sentebale.

7 The Prince and Princess of Wales.

8 French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.

9 Anne, the Princess Royal.

10 Clarence House.

Compiled by Jane Bradley, Andrew Quinn, Mark Atkinson, and others