Events from the year 1972 in Scotland.

• Secretary of State for Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal – Gordon Campbell

• 11 February – Rockall is formally claimed as part of Scotland.
• 24 May – Rangers F.C. wins the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with a 3–2 win over Soviet side FC Dynamo Moscow in Barcelona.
• 26 May — Loch Lomond Bear Park opened near Balloch to display bears.
• 27 June – Highland Wildlife Park opened near Kingussie to display native species.^[1]
• 25 August – Kilbirnie Street fire in Glasgow: 7 firemen killed in a flashover.
• 1 September – Raising of school-leaving age from fifteen to sixteen for pupils leaving school at the end of the academic year, in common with the rest of the UK.^[2]
• 5 October – last ship launched at the former John Brown & Company Clydebank yard, Clyde-class bulk grain carrier MV Alisa.^[3]
• 8 December — Wendy Wood begins a hunger strike for home rule.^[4]
• December – Gartnavel General Hospital opens in Glasgow.
• Anderston Centre opens in Glasgow.
• The West Highland Free Press newspaper is founded at Broadford, Skye.
• Hamilton Academy closes (founded 1588)

• 23 January – Ewen Bremner, actor
• 20 February – Neil Primrose, musician
• 25 March – Phil O'Donnell, footballer (died 2007)^[5]
• 8 April – Lisa Cameron, Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, 2015- , and clinical psychologist
• 9 April – Neve McIntosh, actress
• 10 April – Gordon Buchanan, wildlife film-maker
• 1 May – Patrick Grant, men's fashion designer
• 15 May – Danny Alexander, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, 2005–15
• 2 August – Carol Monaghan, Scottish National Party Member of Parliament for Glasgow North West, 2015-
• 16 August – Frankie Boyle, comedian^[6]
• 17 August – David Ralph, field hockey forward
• 14 September – Jenny Colgan, novelist
• 2 October – John Anderson, footballer
• 20 October – Debbie McLeod, field hockey goalkeeper
• 29 November – Willie Bain, Scottish Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Glasgow North East, 2009-

• 15 March – Jimmy Simpson, international footballer (born 1908)
• 28 March – Duncan Campbell, revivalist (born 1898)
• 4 June – David Ross Lauder, recipient of the Victoria Cross (born 1894)
• 19 November – William Grant, Lord Grant, serving Lord Justice Clerk and former Lord Advocate (born 1909)^[7]
• 30 November – Compton Mackenzie, novelist and Scottish nationalist (born 1883 in West Hartlepool)
• 27 December – John Kerr, cricketer (born 1885)
• Jimmy MacBeath, folk singer (born 1894)

• George Mackay Brown's novel Greenvoe is published.
• Bill Bryden's play Willie Rough is staged by the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.
• The Average White Band is formed in Dundee.
• The pipe band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards release their instrumental recording of "Amazing Grace" which reaches No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in April.

• 1972 in Northern Ireland