On this day in 1937

Glasgow-born Donald Dewar was the first First Minister of Scotland upon the reinstatement of the Scottish Parliament in 2004.

Educated at the University of Glasgow, he first stood for the Westminster Parliament at the General Election of 1964, in which he unsuccessfully contested the seat for Aberdeen South on behalf of the Labour Party. He stood in the same seat two years later, and won. Six years later, Conservative Iain Sproat unseated him and held the seat until 1983. Dewar was not returned to Parliament until 1978.

Supporter of devolution

He campaigned in favour of devolution in the following year’s referendum, in which his wishes were aligned with the majority of voters who took part. Unfortunately, due to the turn-out, this number was still less than 40% of the overall Scottish electorate, which had been a condition of the referendum. Devolution would have to wait.

When Labour won the General Election of 1997, Dewar was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland. In this position he was well placed to work on the party’s plans for the devolution for which he’d campaigned in the late 1970s. It was perhaps appropriate, then, that he should be appointed the devolved Parliament’s first First Minister – although it was by no means a certainty. Labour won the most seats in the first Scottish Parliamentary elections, but not an overall majority, making a coalition agreement with the Scottish Liberal Democrats a necessity.

Sadly for Donald Dewar, his tenure was short. He was appointed on 17 May 1999, but died, aged 63, on 11 October the following year, one day after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

 

...and on this day in 1906

The development of Turnberry Golf Course by Archibald Kennedy was a case of making the best of a bad lot. The land on which it was built was infertile but, with the announcement of the Ayr to Girvan railway, Kennedy saw an opportunity to convert it for sporting use.

13-hole course

In 1901, Willie Fernie designed a 13-hole course. Although 18 holes would today be considered a full course, and nine holes a half, courses differing from those were not uncommon in the sport’s early days. Leith Links, at which the first official game of golf was played, originally had just five holes.

A hotel was also built on site and, over the years, the number of holes – and courses – on the site increased. It was used as an air base during the First and Second World Wars, and renovated following the Second. After going through several big-name owners, it was acquired by the Trump Organization in 2014 and renamed Trump Turnberry.

 

...and on this day in 1886

Motherwell Football Club was formed through the merger of the existing Glencairn and Alpha teams, originally as an amateur club. It went professional in 1893 and moved to Fir Park three years later, which has been its home ground ever since.