Historical eventSeptember 111997

1997 Scottish devolution referendum

After a nationwide referendum, Scotland votes to establish a devolved parliament within the United Kingdom.

Everything on September 11Original source

In context

When
Thursday, September 11 199729 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1990s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1997.

What came before

Background Logo used by the Yes Campaign A referendum was held in 1979 under a Labour government which stipulated that a Scottish Assembly would come into being if the referendum had been supported by 50% of votes cast plus a controversial rule whereby at least 40% of the electorate had to vote in favour. Although 51.6% voted in favour, this was only 32.9% of the electorate so the Assembly was not brought into being. Shortly afterwards,

What happened

The Scottish devolution referendum of 1997 was a pre-legislative referendum held in Scotland on 11 September 1997 over whether there was support for the creation of a Scottish Parliament with devolved powers, and whether the Parliament should have tax-varying powers. The result was "Yes–Yes": a majority voted in favour of both proposals, and the Parliament was established following an election in 1999. Turnout for the referendum was 60.4%.

September 11 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 19971997 Scottish devolution referendum
  2. 2011National September 11 Memorial & Museum
  3. 20122012 Pakistan factory fires
  4. 2012Central Intelligence Agency
  5. 2012Benghazi
  6. 2015Mecca crane collapse
  7. 2023Derna, Libya
  8. 2024Hurricane Francine
  9. 2024Soyuz MS-26
  10. 2025Jair Bolsonaro
  11. 2025Progress MS-32

Also in 1997

  • May 11Deep Blue (chess computer)Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in six games to become the first chess computer to win a match against a world champion.
  • September 13German Air ForceA German Air Force Tupolev Tu-154 and a United States Air Force Lockheed C-141 Starlifter collide in mid-air near Namibia, killing 33.
  • September 14Howrah–Ahmedabad Superfast ExpressEighty-one killed as five bogies of the Ahmedabad–Howrah Express plunge into a river in Bilaspur district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
  • September 18Ted TurnerUnited States media magnate Ted Turner donates US$1 billion to the United Nations.
  • September 18Ottawa TreatyThe Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is adopted.
  • November 17Luxor massacreSixty-two people were killed by Islamist terrorists outside Deir el-Bahari (temple pictured) in Luxor, one of Egypt's top tourist attract…
  • November 17LuxorIn Luxor, Egypt, 62 people are killed by six Islamic militants outside the Temple of Hatshepsut, known as Luxor massacre.
  • October 22Steen ChristensenDanish fugitive Steen Christensen kills two police officers, Chief Constable Eero Holsti and Senior Constable Antero Palo, in Ullanlinna,…

Everything we record for 1997 →

Sources

Cite this page

“1997 Scottish devolution referendum”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/1997-scottish-devolution-referendum-1997-september-11, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did 1997 Scottish devolution referendum happen?

September 11 1997 — 29 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.