The BBC Scotland information web site has seemed again at our most-read tales of the 12 months. That is the highest 20 for 2019, with the rating primarily based on the variety of web page views.
1. Alex Salmond
Picture copyright
PA
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond appeared in courtroom in January charged with plenty of sexual assaults.
The 64-year-old appeared in courtroom once more in November and denied all of the allegations, which embrace one tried rape, one intent to rape, 10 sexual assaults and two indecent assaults.
His QC, Gordon Jackson, stated Mr Salmond was pleading not responsible, and decide Girl Dorrian set the trial date for 9 March subsequent 12 months.
Alex Salmond accused of sexual assaults on 10 women
2. Prorogation courtroom case
In September, Scotland’s highest civil courtroom dominated that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of the UK Parliament was illegal.
A panel of three judges on the Courtroom of Session present in favour of a cross-party group of politicians who had been difficult the prime minister’s prorogation transfer.
The case was despatched to the UK Supreme Courtroom, which agreed that it was mistaken to cease MPs finishing up duties within the run-up to the Brexit deadline on 31 October.
three. First day in school
When requested what she had been as much as to get her new uniform in such a “state”, Lucie, 5, stated: “Nothing a lot”
When Scottish kids went again to highschool in August, many mother and father posted pictures on social media.
However a before-and-after image of five-year-old Lucie received extra consideration than any of them.
She seemed immaculate earlier than she left her house in East Renfrewshire however by the top of a day of taking part in together with her associates it was a very totally different story.
Girl’s before-and-after school photos go viral
four. New prime minister visits Scotland
Picture copyright
PA Media
Days after he grew to become prime minister in July, Boris Johnson travelled to Scotland to fulfill First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Throughout his go to, Brexit was prime of the agenda and Mr Johnson stated the prevailing withdrawal settlement negotiated by his predecessor was “lifeless” and had “received to go”.
He pledged to “maintain out the hand” and “go the additional thousand miles” to strike a brand new Brexit deal.
Ms Sturgeon stated he had set the UK on an “virtually inevitable path to a no-deal Brexit”.
Johnson to ‘hold out the hand’ for Brexit deal
5. Vegetable joke
Picture copyright
Getty Photos
Vegetable inspiration: cauliflower and broccoli
Swedish comic Olaf Falafel received Dave’s “Funniest Joke of The Fringe” award in August, with a gag that ought to perhaps have stayed buried within the floor.
He took the title with the zinger: “I hold randomly shouting out ‘Broccoli’ and ‘Cauliflower’ – I believe I might need florets”.
Suzanne Dobson, from UK’s Tourette’s Motion, referred to as the joke “garbage” and stated her charity had been about to launch a marketing campaign to cease utilizing the situation as a punchline.
Vegetable joke is funniest at the Fringe
6. Capturing demise
Picture copyright
Shutterstock
In April, a person who had appeared as a gangland determine within the movie T2 Trainspotting was shot lifeless in Edinburgh’s west finish.
Bradley Welsh was killed outdoors his house in Chester Avenue.
A 28-year-old was later arrested and charged with homicide. The case is but to come back to trial.
7. ‘Asian physician’
Picture copyright
Dr Punam Krishan
Dr Punam Krishan stated she has discovered the response to her tweet “uplifting”
In January, a GP praised the receptionist at a Glasgow surgical procedure for silencing a affected person who stated they didn’t wish to see an “Asian physician”.
Dr Punam Krishan took to Twitter to specific her delight in her staff – and described the constructive response to her publish as “uplifting”.
She stated the receptionist had defined that Dr Krishan was Scottish, solely to be advised: “She would not look Scottish.”
The receptionist then replied: “What do Scottish individuals seem like?”
Patient who objected to ‘Asian doctor’ silenced
eight. Lightning strike demise
Picture copyright
Getty Photos
Na Gruagaichean is within the Mamores mountain vary
A girl killed by a lightning strike whereas hillwalking in June, died because of a “freak accident”, in accordance with the mountain rescue staff.
The 55-year-old was amongst a gaggle of seven walkers who had been on Na Gruagaichean, close to Ben Nevis, when the lightning struck.
Andy Nelson, from Glencoe Mountain Rescue staff, stated it was very uncommon for somebody to be hit on a hill.
Lightning strike death was ‘freak accident’
9. One thing fishy about Loch Ness Monster
Picture copyright
Getty Photos
There have been many tales of a monster in Loch Ness
In September, scientists induced a serious ripple by claiming the creatures behind repeated sightings of the fabled Loch Ness Monster could also be large eels.
Researchers from New Zealand have tried to catalogue all residing species within the loch by extracting DNA from water samples.
Following evaluation, the scientists have dominated out the presence of enormous animals stated to be behind studies of a monster.
Loch Ness Monster may be giant eel, say scientists
10. Ruthless
Picture copyright
Getty Photos
Ms Davidson led the Scottish Conservatives for eight years
On the finish of August, the BBC ran a narrative saying Ruth Davidson was on the verge of quitting as chief of the Scottish Conservatives.
Ms Davidson had been deeply sad with the prime minister’s pursuit of a attainable no-deal Brexit.
The following day, she introduced her choice to face down, saying her private priorities had modified. She stated the prospect of spending lots of of hours away from her child son and her accomplice, throughout a attainable election marketing campaign, now stuffed her with “dread”.
Scottish Tory leader ‘on verge of quitting’
11. Alesha homicide
Picture copyright
Police Scotland
In March, the 16-year-old who raped and murdered Alesha MacPhail was sentenced to a minimal of 27 years behind bars after he lastly admitted his crime.
Throughout his trial, Aaron Campbell had repeatedly denied he kidnapped, raped and killed the six-year-old on the Isle of Bute in July 2018.
However he admitted his offences to a psychologist getting ready a report back to the courtroom forward of his sentencing.
Choose Lord Matthews imposed a life sentence for the “brutal” homicide.
Alesha killer finally admits rape and murder
12. No-deal Brexit in courtroom
Picture copyright
Getty Photos
Politics was in courtroom rather a lot within the autumn.
Following the UK Supreme Courtroom ruling that Boris Johnson’s prorogation of parliament was illegal, there was one other case which sought to power him to put in writing a letter asking for a Brexit extension.
Campaigners argued that the prime minister couldn’t be trusted to adjust to the legislation, which had been handed by Westminster regardless of Mr Johnson’s objection.
Dismissing the transfer, Scottish decide Lord Pentland stated there might be “little question” that the prime minister had agreed to abide by the legislation.
Within the occasion, Mr Johnson did ship a request to the EU for a delay to Brexit – however with out his signature.
The request was accompanied by a second letter, signed by Mr Johnson, saying he believed a delay could be a mistake.
Judge dismisses no-deal Brexit court move
13. Ben Nevis demise
In March, an avalanche in an space referred to as Quantity 5 Gully on Ben Nevis claimed three lives.
They had been later recognized as two Frenchmen, aged 41 and 32, and a 43-year-old Swiss man.
Swiss and French climbers died in Ben Nevis avalanche
14. Vacationer attraction
Picture copyright
Digital camera Obscura and World of Illusions
The thermal imaging digital camera confirmed that Ms Gill’s breast was a special color
In October, a vacationer advised of her “life-changing” go to to the Digital camera Obscura in Edinburgh after certainly one of its thermal cameras detected she had breast most cancers.
Bal Gill, 41, from Slough in Berkshire, was on the Digital camera Obscura and World of Illusions on the prime of the Royal Mile together with her household in Might.
When she went into the museum’s thermal imaging digital camera room she observed her left breast was a special color.
When she returned house she noticed a physician who confirmed she had breast most cancers.
Tourist attraction scan detects breast cancer
15. Serial killer dies
One in all Scotland’s most infamous murderers, Angus Sinclair, died in March on the age of 73.
He was convicted of 4 killings, together with the 1977 World’s Finish murders, however was suspected of killing 4 extra girls in Glasgow the identical 12 months.
Sinclair had been in jail since 1982 after being convicted of a sequence of rapes and indecent assaults on kids.
Kevin Scott, the brother of one of many homicide victims, described the serial killer as a “monster”.
World’s End serial killer Sinclair dies
16. Margaret Fleming trial
Edward Cairney, 77, and Avril Jones, 59, killed Margaret Fleming when she was 19 however their crimes weren’t found for nearly 20 years.
The couple had been purported to be Margaret’s carers however she had not been seen by anybody since December 1999.
The authorities solely grew to become suspicious in October 2016 when issues had been raised a few advantages declare made by Jones on Ms Fleming’s behalf.
Carers guilty of murdering missing teenager
17. Ben Nevis fall demise
Picture copyright
Owain Bristow
Mountain rescue employees praised the “distinctive flying” of helicopter groups in attending to the casualty and her colleagues in troublesome circumstances
On New 12 months’s Day, a climber died after a fall on Ben Nevis.
The scholar, who was learning on the College of Bristol, was climbing with three others when she plunged 500ft (152m).
Student dies after 500ft Ben Nevis fall
18. Painted women
Picture copyright
Ian Howe
The species typically lay eggs on thistles, giving them the title the thistle butterfly
In August, giant clouds of painted woman butterflies had been noticed throughout the UK and Eire – and specialists stated it was a mass emergence that occurred each 10 years.
Climate circumstances and meals sources supplied ideally suited circumstances for the species to thrive.
Sightings of painted women – in any other case referred to as Vanessa cardui – prompted numerous photos and movies to be posted to social media.
About 11 million of the butterflies had been seen within the UK over the past “painted woman 12 months” in 2009.
Butterflies emerge in once-a-decade phenomenon
19. Nuclear cracks
Hairline cracks simply a few millimetres thick have been discovered on 370 graphite bricks. This image reveals two such cracks – the darkish vertical strains.
In March, the primary photos emerged of cracking within the graphite bricks which make up the core of nuclear reactors at Hunterston B Energy Station in Ayrshire.
Reactor three has not produced electrical energy since cracks had been discovered to be forming extra rapidly than anticipated.
About 370 hairline fractures have been found which equates to about one in each 10 bricks within the reactor core.
Proprietor EDF Power says it does intend to hunt permission from the Workplace of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) to restart.
Hunterston B: Pictures show cracks in Ayrshire nuclear reactor
20. Shark assault
Picture copyright
Getty Photos
Examiners discovered the person’s hand and marriage ceremony ring inside a tiger shark
In November, a Scottish vacationer was discovered to have died in a shark assault after his severed hand and marriage ceremony ring had been discovered contained in the animal.
The 44-year-old man had been final seen snorkelling off the French island of Reunion, close to Madagascar.
His hand, recognized by his marriage ceremony ring, was discovered inside a tiger shark which was caught for analysis functions.
The person was later recognized as Richard Martyn Turner, from Edinburgh.
Scottish tourist’s hand found inside shark