Secretary of State for Scotland

The Secretary of State for Scotland (Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief minister in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilites for Scotland, at the head of the Scotland Office (formerly The Scottish Office). The post was first created in 1709 shortly after the union of the English and Scottish parliaments but after 1746 the position lapsed following the 1745 Jacobite rebellion and responsibility for Scotland was transferred to the Northern Department, and after 1782 to the Home Office.

Secretaries of State for Scotland

• Sir John Gilmour (July 15, 1926 - June 4 1929)
• William Adamson (June 7, 1929 - August 24, 1931)
• Sir Archibald Sinclair (August 25, 1931 - September 28, 1932) (Resigned)
• Sir Godfrey Collins (September 28, 1932 - October 29, 1936)
• Walter Elliot (October 29, 1936 - May 16, 1938)
• John Colville (May 6, 1938 - May 10, 1940)
• Ernest Brown (May 14, 1940 - February 8, 1941)
• Thomas Johnston (February 8, 1941 - May 23, 1945)
• Harry Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery (May 25, 1945 - July 26, 1945)
• Joseph Westwood (August 3, 1945 - October 7, 1947)
• Arthur Woodburn (October 7, 1947 - February 28, 1950)
• Hector McNeil (February 28, 1950 - October 26, 1951)
• James Stuart (October 30, 1951 - January 13, 1957)
• John Maclay (January 13, 1957 - July 13, 1962)
• Michael Noble (July 13, 1962 - October 16, 1964)
• William Ross (October 18, 1964 - June 19, 1970)
• Gordon Campbell (June 20, 1970 - March 4, 1974)
• William Ross (March 5, 1974 - April 8, 1976)
• Bruce Millan (April 8, 1976 - May 4, 1979)
• George Younger (May 5, 1979 - January 11, 1986)
• Malcolm Rifkind (January 11, 1986 - November 28, 1990)
• Ian Lang (November 28, 1990 - July 5, 1995)
• Michael Forsyth (July 5, 1995 - May 2, 1997)
• Donald Dewar (May 3, 1997 - May 17, 1999)
• John Reid (May 17, 1999 - January 25, 2001)
• Helen Liddell (January 25, 2001 - June 13, 2003)
• Alistair Darling (June 13, 2003-)