SCOTS QUIZ OF THE YEAR
FAREWELL to 2017, another tumultuous 12 months... but how much did you take in and how much can you remember about the year that’s just gone by? Quizmaster JONATHAN BROCKLEBANK invites you to get your thinking cap on with our Really, Really Tough Scots Quiz of the Year. You can tackle it just for fun, but there’s also a great prize for a true brainbox.
ROUND ONE: SCOTTISH NEWS
1 What was the first thing former US President Barack Obama did on his debut visit to Scotland in May? A) He went to a pub to sample some single malts B) He went to a genealogist to investigate his Scottish roots C) He went to St Andrews to play golf D) He went to Glasgow to watch an Old Firm match
2 The Queensferry Crossing opened in August. Which was NOT a Scottish Government excuse for the chronic traffic delays which followed? A) Too many bridge tourists B) SatNavs were confused by the new crossing C) Slow moving vintage vehicle drivers D) The Antiques Roadshow was filming nearby
3 The otherwise unremarkable Benford Avenue in Motherwell emerged in December as the holder of which distinction? A) The only street in the UK to have two Lottery jackpot winners B) It has the biggest concentration of TV satellite dishes of any street in Scotland C) Broadband speeds are faster there than any other street in Britain D) It has been voted Scotland’s most Christmassy street
4 The Clyde-built QE2 marked her 50th anniversary in 2017. How? A) With a triumphant return to her Glasgow roots B) With a champagne party in Sydney Harbour C) Circumnavigating the British Isles D) Without fanfare in Dubai
5 In October the residents of Ulva were given the go-ahead to launch a community bid to buy the island. How many people live on it? A) 6 B) 16 C) 36 D) 60
6 Also in October, Scotland was battered with near 80mph winds which downed trees, ripped off roofs and sprinkled the nation with red sand from the Sahara. What was the storm called? A) Portia B) Ophelia C) Desdemona D) Cleopatra
7 In July the BBC published salary details of all presenters earning more than £150,000. Who was the highest paid Scottish woman? A) Laura Kuennsberg B) Jackie Bird C) Sarah Smith D) Kirsty Wark
8 SNP-led West Dunbartonshire Council was widely criticised after flying which flag outside its headquarters in October? A) The Union Flag B) The Flag of the European Union C) The Catalan Flag D) The Rainbow Flag of the LGBT movement
9 The makers of which Scottish product called for a ‘Tartan Mark’ to ward off competition from cheap Chinese imitations? A) Single malt whisky B) Kilts C) Bagpipes D) See You Jimmy wigs
10 The Scottish Government launched its controversial baby boxes for every newborn in 2017. Which of these does it NOT include? A) A poem by Jackie Kay B) Two baby books C) A box of three condoms D) Four dummies
ROUND TWO: CULTURE
11 Which was voted the funniest joke of the 2017 Edinburgh Festival fringe? A) I’m not a fan of the new pound coin, but then again, I hate all change – by Ken Cheng B) Whenever someone says, ‘I don’t believe in coincidences’, I say, ‘Oh my God, me neither!’ – by Alasdair Beckett-King C) I’ve given up asking rhetorical questions. What’s the point? – by Alexei Sayle D) I like to imagine the guy who invented the umbrella was going to call it the brella. But he hesitated – by Andy Field
12 Still at the Fringe, with which 70s funnyman did Nicola Sturgeon compare her predecessor Alex Salmond after he told an off-colour joke at his festival show? A) Bernard Manning B) Benny Hill C) Jim Davidson D) Dick Emery
13 Why did Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art lie empty for several months in 2017? A) It fell victim to an audacious art heist B) Health and safety officials banned a planned exhibition C) Emptiness itself was the exhibit D) To give its curators a sabbatical
14 Crime novelist Ian Rankin this year revealed which actor he would most like to have played Inspector Rebus. Who was he? A) Brian Cox B) Sean Connery C) Tom Conti D) Robbie Coltrane
15 Sir Edwin Landseer’s quintessentially Scottish painting Monarch of the Glen turned out not be as Scottish as supposed. Why? A) The stag pictured was from an estate in Buckinghamshire B) The ‘glen’ background was actually the French Alps C) The scene was copied from a Swedish postcard D) Its original name was Stag of the Steppes
ROUND FOUR: SHOWBIZ
21 Scots-born rocker Malcolm Young, right, died in November age 64. He was a member of which band for more than 40 years? A) Deep Purple B) Black Sabbath C) Iron Maiden D) AC/DC
22 Sir Billy Connolly turned 75 in 2017. Which of these did he describe as the best present to mark the occasion? A) Receiving his knighthood from Prince William B) Being awarded an honorary degree by Strathclyde University C) Three new murals of him on the sides of Glasgow buildings D) ITV’s tribute show Billy Connolly & Me
23 Harry Potter author JK Rowling was criticised over the casting of which actor in her film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald? A) Kevin Spacey B) Johnny Depp C) Dustin Hoffman D) Woody Allen 24 Trainspotting II was the most talked about Scottish film of the year. Which character begins the film behind bars? A) Renton B) Spud C) Begbie D) Sick Boy
25 Veteran Scottish actor James Cosmo surprised many by joining the Z-listers on Celebrity Big Brother in January. Why did his agent say he did it? A) To cultivate a younger audience B) His diary was clear that month C) To prepare for a film role D) He had no unearthly idea
26 Then in November, former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale flew to the Australian outback to appear on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! How did she do? A) She was first to be voted out B) She was second to be voted out C) She walked out on the show D) She was voted Queen of the Jungle
27 Scottish satirist Armando Iannucci’s second feature film was released in 2017. It was about the death of which 20th Century dictator? A) Stalin B) Franco C) Chairman Mao D) Mussolini
28 Which longrunning Scottish band announced this year they were calling it a day once and for all? A) Wet Wet Wet B) Runrig C) Bay City Rollers D) All of them
29 On Hallowe’en, daytime TV queen Lorraine Kelly, below, baffled viewers by presenting her show dressed as which children’s character? A) Cinderella B) Alice in Wonderland C) Snow White D) Penelope Pitstop
30 Simple Minds announced they will tour next year with a band led by an old flame of singer Jim Kerr. Who is it? A) Sharleen Spiteri of Texas B) Debbie Harry of Blondie C) Claire Grogan of Altered Images D) Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders
ROUND FIVE: SPORT
31 Injury scuppered Andy Murray’s chances at Wimbledon and sidelined him for the rest of the season. What had he hurt? A) His wrist B) His hip C) His calf D) His shoulder
32 In November Scotland’s rugby team hammered Australia by a record 53-24. Which tryscorer did not know he was playing until ten minutes before kick-off? A) Byron McGuigan B) Stuart McInally C) John Barclay D) Huw Jones
33 Days before he was sacked, Scotland manager Gordon Strachan offered a novel excuse for Scotland’s failure to qualify for the World Cup finals. What was it? A) Poor Scottish diet B) Inferior Scottish genes C) Dreadful Scottish luck D) Anti-Scottish referees
34 The BBC’s Hazel Irvine gave up presenting duties for which sport in 2017? A) Tennis B) Snooker C) Golf D) Rugby
35 Elise Christie was the only Scot nominated in 2017 for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. What is her sport? A) Speed skating B) Ski jumping C) Bobsleigh D) Curling
ROUND SIX: POLITICS
36 Which renowned Scottish artist designed Nicola Sturgeon’s 2017 Christmas card? A) John Byrne B) Jack Vettriano C) Peter Howson D) Alison Watt
37 Former Father of the House Tam Dalyell, below, died in January, aged 84. Who did he say was ‘by far the worst’ of the eight prime ministers spanning his years in Westminster? A) Margaret Thatcher B) Tony Blair C) John Major D) James Callaghan
38 Richard Leonard became the latest leader of Scottish Labour in November. How many of his fellow Labour MSPs are former leaders of the party? A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4
39 Following the General Election in June, the North East Fife MP Stephen Gethens has the slimmest majority in the UK. How big is it? A) 2 B) 12 C) 21 D) 121
40 Why was Transport Minister Humza Yousaf fined £300 and given six penalty points in February? A) Careless driving B) Driving without a seatbelt C) Driving without insurance D) Using a phone while driving
41 ‘You have not seen the last of my bonnets and me,’ warned Alex Salmond after he was beaten for the first time in a constituency election. From which poet did he borrow the line? A) Sir Walter Scott B) Robert Burns C) Sorley MacLean D) Liz Lochhead
42 In July the then Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale revealed she had found love with an MSP from a rival party. Which one? A) The Conservatives B) The Greens C) The Lib Dems D) The SNP
43 In the autumn Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson appeared in a celebrity one-off version of which reality show? A) The Apprentice B) Great British Bake Off C) MasterChef D) The Naked Choir
44 Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie’s 2016 election campaign was hijacked by amorous pigs during an interview. With which farmyard animal did he tangle in this year’s General Election campaign? A) A bull B) A ram C) A chicken D) An ostrich
45 Who was reprimanded in the Scottish parliament in February after referring to the Scottish Greens as ‘lentil-munching sandalwearing watermelons’? A) The SNP’s Roseanna Cunningham B) Labour’s Jackie Baillie C) The Conservatives’ Murdo Fraser D) The Lib Dems’ Alex ColeHamilton
ROUND SEVEN: STRANGE BUT TRUE
46 The Rev Susan Brown was named as the next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. What is her claim to fame? A) She christened Andy Murray’s daughter Sophia B) She officiated at Madonna’s wedding to Guy Ritchie C) She conducted the funeral service for Ronnie Corbett
D) All of the above
47 Consultation talks began in November with a view to re-introducing which predator to Scotland to help control deer numbers? A) Lynx B) Brown Bear C) Rattlesnake D) Wolf
48 In July a civic reception was held in the Perthshire village of Dull for the mayor of which Australian village? A) Drab B) Bland C) Dreary D) Banal
49 Which tiny Scottish island was finally covered by Ordnance Survey for the first time in 2017? A) Foula in Shetland B) Rousay in Orkney C) Little Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde D) Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth
50 In November former world champion Allan Simmons from Berwickshire was banned from competition for three years for alleged cheating – at what game? A) Tiddlywinks B) Monopoly C) Scrabble D) Connect 4