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The year 2024 will be remembered as a year of global elections, which saw the UK elect its first Labour Prime Minister in nearly 20 years and the US voters dumbfound the political pundits to send Donald Trump back to the White House.
It’s also been a year of conflict, with the escalation of the Israel-Gaza-Lebanon Conflict and the continuation of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Climate-induced disasters have wreaked havoc worldwide, with major floods hitting Spain, Central Europe, Thailand and Morocco, while a series of hurricanes led to devastation in the US, and many parts of the world were hit by heatwaves and drought.
There has been some respite in the world of sport, with the successful Paris Olympics and Germany holding the Euro 24 football tournament.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, here are some of the people, events and stories that have shaped the year, for better or for worse.
5. The death of Alex Salmond
The nation was in shock on October 12 when Alex Salmond, the former first minister and titan of Scottish politics, died of a heart attack at a conference in North Macedonia aged 69. Regarded as the architect of the modern Scottish independence movement, he served as first minister from 2007 to 2014 and was leader of the SNP on two occasions, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014. More recently, he led the pro-independence Alba Party. He was buried at a private family funeral, with a memorial service later taking place at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. | Getty Images
6. (Another) win over the Auld Enemy
Scotland beat England for a record-equaling fourth time in the third round of the Six Nations - something they hadn't done since the 1970s. It followed a narrow win over Wales and a narrow defeat to France. Sadly losses to Italy and Ireland meant a lowly fourth-place finish, but there's always next year... | Getty Images
7. A Labour landslide
As Britain elected Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, Scotland also turned red in a result that was nothing short of a disaster for the SNP. John Swinney's party lost a hefty 39 seats, leaving them on just nine. Labour's 37 seats outperformed their best-case scenario, while the Lib Dems and Conservatives picked up six and five seats respectively. Whether it turns out to be a blip or a longer-term trend remains to be seen. | Getty Images
8. Glasgow Warriors rule the world
In one of the greatest nights in Scottish club rugby history the Glasgow Warriors beat The Bulls in front of a sold-out hostile South African crowd in Pretoria to win the United Rugby Championship. It looked unlikely after they went 13-0 down. But tries from Scott Cummings, George Turner and Huw Jones, all converted by George Horne, completed a dramatic fightback that saw the Scottish team triumph 21-16. | AFP via Getty Images