1566 in Scotland refers to the events, births, and deaths occurring within the Kingdom of Scotland during the calendar year 1566. This period falls within the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots (also known as Mary I of Scotland), who ruled from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567.
Incumbent
- Monarch: Mary I (Mary, Queen of Scots)
Events
- 24 February – Wedding of Jean Gordon and James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell.
- 9 March – David Rizzio, the private secretary and Italian courtier of Mary, Queen of Scots, is murdered in front of her at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. The attack was carried out by a group of nobles led by Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven, with the support of Mary's husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.
- 11 March – Mary escapes to Dunbar Castle after convincing Lord Darnley to help her.
- 18 March – Mary returns to Edinburgh with an army raised by James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Those responsible for Rizzio's murder flee, with many subsequently going into exile.
- April – Mary takes up residence at Edinburgh Castle in preparation for giving birth.
- 19 June – Mary gives birth to her son James at Edinburgh Castle.
- 17 December – James is baptised at Stirling Castle. Lord Darnley refuses to attend the ceremony.
Births
- 19 June – James VI and I, King of Scotland from 1567, and later King of England and Ireland from 1603 (died 1625).
- James Sempill, Scottish courtier and poet (died 1626).
Deaths
- 9 March – David Rizzio, Italian courtier and private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots (born 1533 in the Duchy of Savoy). He was murdered at Holyrood Palace.
Historical Context
The year 1566 was significant in Scottish history primarily because it saw the murder of David Rizzio, an event that deepened the political crisis surrounding Mary, Queen of Scots' troubled marriage to Lord Darnley. It was also the year in which the future James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) was born at Edinburgh Castle — a birth of major importance for both Scottish and, eventually, English succession. Tensions between factions at court during this period set the stage for the murder of Lord Darnley in 1567 and Mary's subsequent abdication later that same year.
