• Monarch – William II
• Secretary of State – John Dalrymple, Master of Stair (until dismissed after Glencoe enquiry), jointly with James Johnston

Law officers edit

• Lord Advocate – Sir James Stewart
• Solicitor General for Scotland – ??

Judiciary edit

• Lord President of the Court of Session – Lord Stair (died in November)
• Lord Justice General – Lord Lothian
• Lord Justice Clerk – Lord Ormiston

• 2 July – 1 September – Scottish regiments are involved in the Siege of Namur
• 17 July – Parliament passes the act to establish the Bank of Scotland
• Carron Bridge built

• 1 August – John Rutherford, physician and professor at the University of Edinburgh Medical School (died 1779)
• 5 October – John Glas, clergyman who started the Glasite church movement (died 1773)
• 4 November – John Erskine of Carnock, jurist and professor of Scottish law at the University of Edinburgh (died 1768)
• date unknown –
  • John Hay, 4th Marquess of Tweeddale, nobleman, politician, Secretary of State for Scotland, Governor of Bank of Scotland (died 1772)

• 13 April – James Drummond bishop (born 1629)
• 15 May – Patrick Lyon, 3rd Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, peer, (born 1643)
• 29 November – James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair, lawyer and statesman, (born 1619)
• date unknown –
  • William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry, politician (born 1637)

• Timeline of Scottish history