First Minister of Scotland facts for kids

Nicola Sturgeon is the current, and first female, First Minister of Scotland.

First Minister of Scotland is the name given to the head of the Scottish government. The current First Minister of Scotland is Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party, since 19 November 2014 after Alex Salmond resigned following the defeat of the pro-independence campaign in the Scottish independence referendum. The first was Donald Dewar, who died in office in 2000. Alex Salmond was the longest-serving First Minister with over seven-and-a-half years in office. The official residence of First Minister is Bute House in Edinburgh, Scotland.

List of First Ministers of Scotland

• Donald Dewar (Labour Party) - 7 May 1999 - 11 October 2000 (died in office)
• Henry McLeish (Labour Party) - 27 October 2000 - 8 November 2001 (resigned)
• Jack McConnell (Labour Party) - 22 November 2001 - 16 May 2007
• Alex Salmond (Scottish National Party) - 16 May 2007 - 19 November 2014 (longest-serving First Minister)
• Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party) - 19 November 2014 - present

Caretaker First Ministers of Scotland

• Jim Wallace (Liberal Democrats) - 11 October 2000 - 27 October 2000
• Jim Wallace (Liberal Democrats) - 8 November 2001 - 22 November 2001

Deputy First Ministers of Scotland

• Jim Wallace (Liberal Democrats) - 7 May 1999 - 23 June 2005
• Nicol Stephen (Liberal Democrats) - 23 June 2005 - 16 May 2007
• Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party) - 16 May 2007 - 19 November 2014
• John Swinney (Scottish National Party) - 21 November 2014 - present

Images for kids

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  US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Nicola Sturgeon at the US Department of State in Washington, D.C., on 10 June 2015

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  Bute House at 6 Charlotte Square is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland.