1885 in Scotland

Incumbents

• Monarch – Victoria
• Secretary for Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal – from 17 August The Duke of Richmond

  Law officers

• Lord Advocate – John Blair Balfour until July; then John Macdonald
• Solicitor General for Scotland – Alexander Asher; then James Robertson

  Judiciary

• Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General – Lord Glencorse
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Moncreiff

  Events

• 18 April – Scottish Catholic Observer first published as The Glasgow Observer.
• 1 June – the Glasgow and South Western Railway's Largs Branch is completed throughout to Largs.
• 10 June – breed standard for Highland cattle first defined and herd book first produced.
• 27 June – The Shetland News first published in Lerwick.
• 1 July – the Glasgow and South Western Railway's Paisley Canal Line is opened on the course of the abandoned Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal.
• 6 August – the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway is officially formed, in the joint ownership of the Caledonian, Glasgow and South Western, London and North Western and Midland Railways.
• 17 August – the post of Secretary for Scotland is revived to be in charge of the Scottish Office, Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, being the first appointee.
• 1 October – the Alloa Railway's Alloa swing bridge over the River Forth is opened.
• 24 November – 18 December: 1885 United Kingdom general election: five MPs from or allied with the Crofters Party are elected.
• General Accident and Employers' Liability Assurance Association Ltd., a predecessor of Aviva, established in Perth.
• Ailsa Shipbuilding Company established at Troon.
• North British Distillery established in Edinburgh.
• Scapa distillery established on Mainland, Orkney.
• Hugh Tennent first brews lager at the Wellpark Brewery, Glasgow.
• Experimental hydroelectricity scheme for public supply at Greenock initiated.
• Fidra lighthouse built.

  Births

• 21 January – Duncan Grant, painter
• 16 February – Will Fyffe, music hall entertainer
• 23 March – John Fraser, surgeon and academic
• 8 April – John Kerr, cricketer
• 29 April – Andrew Young, poet and clergyman
• 22 June – James Maxton, socialist and leader of the Independent Labour Party
• 8 September – Douglas Guthrie, otolaryngologist and medical historian
• 1 October – William Miller Macmillan, colonial historian
• F. Marian McNeill, folklorist
• Winifred Rushforth, née Bartholomew, psychoanalyst

  Deaths

• 2 April – James Edward Alexander, soldier, traveller and author
• 16 July – William Graham, wine merchant, art patron and Liberal politician

  The arts

• "Glasgow Boys" first exhibit collectively, at the Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts.
• Aberdeen Art Gallery opens.
• English painter Fra Newbery is appointed Principal of Glasgow School of Art, where he will serve until 1917.

  Sport

Seasons

• 1884–85 and 1885–86 Scottish Cups
• 1884–85 and 1885–86 British Home Championships
• 1885 Open Championship on the Old Course at St Andrews
• 1885 Home Nations Championship

  Events

• May – Clydesdale Harriers established in Glasgow as Scotland's first open amateur athletics club.
• 12 September – Arbroath 36–0 Bon Accord is the world's highest scoring professional Association football match until 2002.

  Establishments

• Caledonian F.C., Inverness
• Clachnacuddin F.C., Inverness
• Clackmannan F.C.
• Cronberry Eglinton F.C.
• Dundee Wanderers F.C.
• Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
• Forfar Athletic F.C.
• Glenurquhart Shinty Club
• Inverness Thistle F.C.
• Lanemark F.C., New Cumnock
• Lesmahagow F.C.
• Orion F.C., Aberdeen
• St Johnstone F.C., Perth
• Wishaw F.C.

  Closures

• Eastern F.C.