In what year did the Scottish Parliament officially come into being?
Devolution, the transfer of power from central government to regional administrations, was a significant political issue in the UK for many years. Scotland, in particular, has a long history of advocating for greater autonomy. While Scotland retained its own legal and educational systems after the Act of Union in 1707, there was no separate Scottish Parliament for nearly three centuries. In 1997, a referendum was held in Scotland where the Scottish people voted overwhelmingly in favour of establishing a devolved parliament. Following this clear mandate, the Scotland Act was passed in the UK Parliament in 1998, paving the way for the creation of the new Scottish Parliament. The first elections to the Scottish Parliament took place in May 1999, and the Parliament officially convened for the first time in July of that year. So, while the groundwork was laid in the preceding years, 1999 marks the year the Scottish Parliament actually came into being and began legislating on devolved matters.
Think of the year the Euro currency was introduced, and add two years to remember when the Scottish Parliament was formed.