Miss Scotland is a national beauty pageant in Scotland. Entrants must hold a British passport to enter. The contest, whose title is owned by the Miss World organisation, is organised each year by Janis Sue Smith Director of The Catwalk Academy

Miss Scotland
Formation1961
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersGlasgow
Location
Membership
Miss World
Miss Supranational
Official language
English
Websitehttps://www.theofficialmissscotland.com/
Stephanie Willemse, Miss Scotland 2008

The winner of the Miss Scotland competition, along with the winners of Miss England, Miss Northern Ireland and Miss Wales, can compete in Miss World. The highest-ranking competitor of the four constituent country entrants is then presented with the title and crown of Miss United Kingdom, and will later compete in Miss International.

History

From 1961 to 1990, the winners of Miss Scotland went on to compete at the Miss Universe pageant, usually held in the summer. They would then compete, along with the winners of Miss England, Miss Wales and Miss Northern Ireland, and other top contenders from the regional competitions, in the Miss United Kingdom pageant, with the winner of Miss UK going on to compete at the Miss World pageant in November.

During the 1990s there was no Miss Scotland at Miss Universe.

In 1999, after Scottish devolution, Miss Scotland was allowed to enter the Miss World pageant. The first Miss Scotland to compete in Miss World was Stephanie Norrie; she competed alongside Miss Wales, who was Clare Daniels, and Nicola Willoughby, who won the last Miss United Kingdom pageant that year. Miss England and Miss Northern Ireland first competed at Miss World in 2000. Since then, the highest ranking of the four UK contestants has won the Miss United Kingdom title. In recent years the Miss UK titleholder has also been offered the chance to participate at the following year's Miss International pageant, as Miss UK.

In the 21st century, the Miss Scotland contest has enjoyed a high profile, with sponsorship from the Scottish Sun newspaper. Miss Scotland has also been the most successful of the four UK nations at Miss World. Since 2000, the Miss United Kingdom title has been won by Miss Scotland nine times. England has 4 wins, Wales 3 and Northern Ireland 2 (2016 unknown).

Titleholders

colorkey
  •   Won Miss United Kingdom
  •   1st Runner-up at Miss Universe, Miss World or Miss UK
  •   2nd Runner-up at Miss Universe, Miss World or Miss UK
  •   Finalist at Miss Universe or Miss World
  •   Semi-finalist or quarter-finalist at Miss Universe or Miss World

From 1961 - 1990, the winner of Miss Scotland represented her country at the Miss Universe pageant.

Year Miss Scotland Placement at Miss Universe Placement at Miss UK Placement at Miss World
1961 Susan Jones Top 15 Unknown N/A
1962 Vera Parker Unplaced Unknown N/A
1963 Grace Taylor Unplaced Unknown N/A
1964 Wendie Barrie Unplaced Unknown N/A
1965 Mary Young Unplaced Unknown N/A
1966 Linda Ann Lees Unplaced Unknown N/A
1967 Lena MacGarvie Unplaced Unknown N/A
1968 Helen Davidson Unplaced Unknown N/A
1969 Sheena Drummond Unplaced Won Miss UK N/A
1970 Lee Hamilton Marshall Unplaced 2nd Runner-up N/A
1971 Elizabeth Montgomery Unplaced N/A
1972 Elizabeth Joan Stevely Unplaced N/A
1973 Caroline Meade Unplaced N/A
1974 Catherine Roberson Unplaced N/A
1975 Mary Kirkwood Unplaced N/A
1976 Carol Jean Grant 3rd Runner-up Won Miss UK N/A
1977 Sandra Bell 2nd Runner-up N/A
1978 Angela McLeod Unplaced N/A
1979 Lorraine Davidson Top 12 (10th) 1st Runner-up N/A
1980 Linda Gallagher 1st Runner-up N/A
1981 Anne McFarlane Unplaced N/A
1982 Georgina Kearney Unplaced 2nd Runner-up N/A
1983 Linda Renton Unplaced N/A
1984 May Monaghan Unplaced N/A
1985 Jacqueline Hendrie Unplaced N/A
1986 Natalie N. Devlin Unplaced N/A
1987 Eileen Catterson Did not participate N/A
1988 Amanda Laird Unplaced N/A
1989 Victoria Lace Unplaced 2nd Runner-up N/A
1990 Karina Ferguson Unplaced N/A
Notes:
  • Pre 1970, only Miss United Kingdom victories are listed; whether the Miss Scotland winners in those years was a runner-up, was unplaced or even participated is unknown.
  • Post 1970, for Miss United Kingdom, only the Top 3 results are listed; for the Miss Scotland winners in that period that did not place in the top three, their result or participation details are unknown.
  • 1963 Miss Scotland, Grace Taylor, won the Miss Congeniality award at Miss Universe 1963.
  • 1964 Miss Scotland was originally 19 year-old Doreen Swan of Glasgow, but in July 1964 she pulled out of the contest after complaining she had been "over-chaperoned" and held like a "prisoner" in her hotel room.[1] She was replaced by 21-year-old Wendie Barrie, also from Glasgow. The following year Swan, having moved to Dundee, was crowned 'Miss Arbroath'.
  • 1976 Miss Scotland, Carol Jean Grant, is the only woman from Scotland to have placed in the top five at both Miss Universe and Miss World, finishing fourth at both in 1976.
  • 1979 Miss Scotland, Lorraine Davidson, also placed as 3rd runner-up at Miss International 1980, competing as Miss Great Britain.
  • 1987 Miss Scotland, Eileen Catterson, was disqualified from competing in the 1987 Miss Universe due to being under age (she was 17). This makes 1987 the only year in the period 1961-1990, that Scotland were not represented at Miss Universe. Catterson competed in the following year's Miss Europe pageant, but was unplaced.

Miss Scotland 1997-present

Since 1999, the winner of Miss Scotland has represented her country at the Miss World pageant.

Year Miss Scotland Hometown Placement at Miss World Miss United Kingdom
1997 Isla Sutherland Alloa Did not compete N/A
1998 Laura Gilmour Larbert Did not compete N/A
1999 Stephanie Norrie Cumbernauld Unplaced N/A
2000 Michelle Watson Motherwell Unplaced Miss UK
2001 Juliet-Jane Horne Aberdeen 2nd Runner-Up Miss UK
2002 Paula Murphy Stirling Unplaced Unknown
2003 Nicola Jolly Aberdeen Unplaced Miss UK
2004 Lois Weatherup Linlithgow Unplaced Unknown
2005 Aisling Friel Glasgow Unplaced Unknown
2006 Nicola McLean Aberdeenshire Top 17 Miss UK
2007 Nieve Jennings Bishopbriggs unplaced Miss UK
2008 Stephanie Willemse Glasgow Unplaced Unknown
2009 Katharine Brown Dunblane Unplaced Miss UK
2010 Nicola Mimnagh Kilbarchan Top 25 Miss UK
2011 Jennifer Reoch Glasgow Top 7 1st Runner-up
2012 Nicole Treacy Paisley Unplaced Unknown
2013 Jamey Bowers Edinburgh Unplaced Unknown
2014 Ellie McKeating Milngavie Top 25 1st Runner-up
2015 Mhairi Fergusson Stirling Top 20 Miss UK
2016 Lucy Kerr[2] Glasgow Unplaced Unknown
2017 Romy McCahill[3] Milngavie Unplaced Unknown
2018 Linzi Mclelland East Kilbride Top 12 Miss UK
2019 Keryn Matthew Edinburgh Top 40 Unknown
2020 Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2020
2021 Claudia Todd[4] Bothwell Unplaced Unknown
2022 Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2022
2023 Lucy Thomson[5](Dethroned) Edinburgh Did not compete Unknown
Chelsie Allison[6] (Assumed) Inverness Unplaced Unknown
2025 Amy Scott Strathaven TBA
Notes:
  • At Miss World 2001, as the highest placed contestant from Europe, Juliet-Jane Horne was awarded the title of Continental Queen of Europe.
  • At Miss World 2006, Nicola Mclean reached the Top 17 semi-final but was not selected as one of the 6 finalists. Her overall position was 10th.
  • At Miss World 2007, Nieve Jennings was runner-up in Talent fast track and third in Sports fast track, and narrowly missed the Top 16 semifinal, finishing 17th. She was also one of the three soloists to record the Olympic anthem "Light up the Passion, Share the Dream".
  • At Miss World 2011, Jennifer Reoch became Scotland's second most successful entrant of the 21st century by reaching the final seven. Miss England, Alize Mounter also reached the final seven and took the Miss UK title (Mounter was 4th overall, Reoch 7th).
  • At Miss World 2015, Mhairi Fergusson's overall placement was 18th.
  • Miss Scotland 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2012, did not win the Miss UK title but their UK placements are unknown.

See also

References

  1. ^ 'Miss Scotland quits U.S. beauty show', Press and Journal, 14 July 1964, p.5. See also: 'Phone call mystery', Press and Journal, 8 August 1964, p.1.
  2. ^ "Congratulations to Scotland's new ambassador Lucy Kerr, our first red headed Miss Scotland in 18 years!". Miss Scotland en Facebook. 26 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Miss Scotland 2017 is Romy McCahill". theofficialmissscotland. 24 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Bothwell beauty is crowned Miss Scotland 2021". Daily Record (Scotland). 1 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Miss Scotland 2022 Crowned". missworld.com. 24 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Miss World Scotland". 31 October 2023. Archived from the original on 25 February 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2023.