The Scotsman's Big Quiz of 2024: The ultimate knowledge test from politics to showbiz

Think you know your showbiz or are completely across all things politics? What about world news? Some questions are easy, others are ridiculously hard, and a few are frankly impossible. Good luck!

Around Scotland

1. What is the name of the hugely delayed ferry that CalMac hopes will start carrying passengers in early 2025?

2. A baby red panda died at Edinburgh Zoo in November. What was given as the cause of death?

3. Which stand-up comic to win the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award in March?

BBC

4. What would be the new speed limit on single carriageway rural roads under Scottish Government proposals?

5. Which TV and radio presenter reached Glasgow in November to complete an epic Children In Need cycling challenge after riding almost 300 miles from Wales to Scotland on a Raleigh Chopper bike?

6. Which seat went from the safest in Scotland to the most marginal after the general election?

7. Whose veteran carriages found new life as a children's nursery classroom, cafe and artists' studios?

8. What is the name of the new £55 million surf resort that opened just outside Edinburgh in November?

9. What event held in Glasgow in February became a viral sensation after children were given a half cup of lemonade and two jelly beans each for attending?

10. What happened to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports this year?

Politics

1. The SNP were routed on election night, but managed to add two MPs. Name either of them.

2. Former SNP deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in a three-star show. What was it called?

Mhairi Black's debut run at the Fringe was met with resounding success

3. Which country was Alex Salmond attending a conference in when he died of a heart attack, aged 69, in October?

4. What important event did Rishi Sunak leave early, putting the final nail in his general election campaign?

5. Name the politician who sparked bemusement by talking about her dislike of lunch.

6. Which Taylor Swift song did SNP leader John Swinney claim was his favourite during the general election campaign?

7. Now Labour MP Josh Simons was forced to apologise in February for saying the UK government should put smuggler gangs on a barge and send them where?

8. Who was the first member of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet to resign?

9. Which SNP minister attracted controversy this year after being chauffeured to a film premiere in a ministerial car?

10. Humza Yousaf became Scotland's second shortest serving first minister when he formally resigned in May. Who retains the record?

Around the world

1. Who was named as Time magazine’s person of the year for 2024?

2. Denmark’s King Frederik X was proclaimed monarch on January 14, but in which country was his wife Queen Mary born?

3. Passengers of which airline had a dramatic flight when a door-sized panel blew off their Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in January, forcing an emergency landing in the US?

4. Greece became the first Orthodox Christian country to legalise what in February?

5. What happened to the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the US in March?

6. Where did Americans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams become stuck in June?

7. Which US state was Donald Trump visiting when he was shot in the ear during a presidential campaign visit in July?

Donald Trump on election night. Picture: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

8. Police in Australia recovered more than 40,000 stolen limited-edition coins based on which hit children’s TV show in October?

9. President Yoon Suk Yeol attempted to impose what in South Korea earlier this month?

10. Israeli forces seized control of what leading into Egypt in May after Hamas announced they were accepting a ceasefire proposal?

Sport

1. Who will Andy Murray coach at next year's Australian Open?

2. Who won this year's golf Scottish Open?

3. What colour of medal did Josh Kerr take in the 2024 1500m Olympic final?

Josh Kerr will fly the flag for Scotland. | Getty Images

4. Who became Celtic's record signing with an £11 million move in August?

5. Who scored Scotland's two goals at Euro 2024?

6. Which Scotland internationalist is leaving Glasgow Warriors to join Bristol Bears in 2025?

7. Where will the 2025 women's European football championships be held?

8. Who did Glasgow Warriors beat to win the URC Grand Final in 2024?

9. Where will the 2025 Ryder Cup be played?

10. Who defeated Josh Taylor in a boxing bout in Leeds in May 2024?

In the arts

1. What Shakespearean character did award-winning stage and screen star Ralph Fiennes play in a temporary theatre created at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh in January?

2. Which Scottish literary character did Coronation Street star Gray O'Brien step into the shoes off in a new stage play in September?

3. Who won the main Edinburgh Comedy Award in August?

4. Which film was screened outdoors and accompanied by a live performance by the RSNO at Edinburgh Castle esplanade in July?

5. Which Scottish singer-songwriter revealed in March that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease?

6. Which book by the late Scottish writer Alasdair Gray was adapted into a feature film that won four Academy Awards in March?

7. Which actor was unveiled as the new artistic director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre in September?

8. Which best-selling novel that starts and finishes in Edinburgh was turned into a hit Netflix series that launched in February?

9. Which Scottish comedian who died in 2021 was honoured in the hit Edinburgh Festival Fringe comedy show Chemo Savvy?

10. How many concerts did Taylor Swift perform at the home of Scottish rugby as she smashed box office records for stadium concerts in Scotland in June?

In the number one position, unsurprisingly, is Taylor Swift. The American superstar sold out three nights at Murrayfield Stadium with her record-breaking Eras Tour. According to Viagogo, she was the number one biggest-selling artist among Edinburgh-ticket buyers. In addition, she was also the most-viewed artist globally on the ticketing platform. | Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Odds and ends

1. What did Blackpool Zoo staff say they were using in February to identify female elephant dung and help determine whether they were pregnant?

2. Which “secret” room at St Paul’s Cathedral in London was offered for a “once-in-a-lifetime” overnight stay in March?

3. A Ministry of Justice computer glitch allowed 67 couples to do what before they were legally allowed to in May?

4. Army veteran Sally Orange who has run a marathon on every continent dressed as a fruit or vegetable completed the Everest Marathon in June dressed as what?

5. Cher sang I Got You Babe in which famous TV pub for an ad campaign for a new TV streaming service in July?

6. What had to be removed from Edinburgh Airport in September after an “unauthorised landing”?

Getty Images

7. What happened at Old Marylebone Town Hall in October to mark its 100th anniversary?

8. Second World War veteran Manette Baillie from Benhall in Suffolk did what to mark her 102nd birthday in August?

9. What vegetable did Tesco say would be “25 per cent bigger this year” for Christmas due to a good growing season?

10. Which ancient monument was sprayed orange by Just Stop Oil protesters?

Showbiz

1. Chris McCausland was the runaway winner of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing title. Name his dance partner.

2. Name the Hollywood actress who has joined the Booker Prize judging panel for 2025.

3. Who upstaged David Beckham in a viral Instagram video filmed at his Cotswolds estate in May?

Getty Images

4. Which singer and guitarist won the 2024 UK edition of The Masked Singer as Piranha?

5. Which Scottish actor told an awards ceremony in June that now Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch should “shut up”?

6. Which Hollywood couple were revealed to be divorcing in August, two years after marrying and more than 20 years after they first got engaged?

7. Which 85-year-old actor announced he was taking a break after suffering wrist and neck injuries following a fall off the stage in a production of Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre?

8. Who won British album of the year, song of the year and British artist of the year among six prizes at the 2024 Brit Awards?

9. Which 2024 film became the first to cross the one billion dollar mark at the global box office?

10. Which best actress Oscar winner was revealed to be writing a crime thriller with author Harlan Coben due out in 2025?

Who said…

1. Which teenage sporting sensation said “I can’t wait to go back on my Xbox” in the midst of a competition in January?

2. Who said they were “getting up at 3am, eating chocolate, leaving trails of Crunchy Nut everywhere, milk spilling – he actually described me as a racoon” about their time living with co-star Colin Farrell?

3. Which controversial US politician said: “David Cameron needs to worry about his own country and, frankly, he can kiss my ass”?

Former Prime Ministers Theresa May, David Cameron and Gordon Brown attended the service | Getty Images

4. Former Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said “the cause of Scottish independence was burned in his heart and seared on his soul" about which politician?

5. Which member of the royal family said: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused”, after a furore over a manipulated picture?

6. Which politician pitched themselves to voters in the general election by saying: “Send me to Parliament to be a bloody nuisance”?

7. Which band announced their reunion after 25 years by saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”?

8. Which pop star hit the headlines during the US election by describing herself as a “childless cat lady” on social media?

9. Who said “they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in. They’re eating the cats”?

10. Which now-retired rugby player sparked a row by tweeting: “The haka needs binning. It’s ridiculous”, ahead of England’s match against New Zealand?

Royal

1. Staff at which top private hospital were accused of attempting to access the Princess of Wales’s private medical records following her abdominal surgery in January?

2. The Duke of Sussex settled the remaining parts of his phone hacking claim against which newspaper publisher in February?

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, to benefit Sentebale, at the USPA National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida, US. The Duke of Sussex will celebrate his 40th birthday on Sunday. | Yaroslav Sabitov/PA Wire

3. Which young royal left a note on a “kindness tree” at Westminster Abbey thanking “granny and grandpa because they have played games with me”?

4. The King was named as the new patron of which charity as he resumed public-facing events for the first time since his cancer diagnosis in April?

5. Who spent five nights in hospital in June being treated for concussion after being struck by a horse?

6. The Prince of Wales caused a stir over the summer when he debuted a new beard. But why did he shave it off (before later growing it back)?

7. Crathie Kirk, the Scottish church where Queen Elizabeth II worshipped, hosted which BBC programme for the first time in September to mark the second anniversary of her death?

8. What is the name of the senator who berated the King and accused him of “genocide” against her nation’s indigenous people during the monarch’s tour of Australia in October?

9. Which of the King’s nieces announced in October that she was expecting her second child?

10. The King, accompanied by the Queen, addressed Holyrood in September to mark what anniversary?

BMDs

1. Dame Maggie Smith died aged 89 in September. Which Hogwarts professor did she play in the Harry Potter film series?

Dame Maggie Smith, who died on September 27, 2024, was an Oscar-winning star of both stage and screen | Getty Images

2. Which Scottish child star who died at the age of just 35 was the subject of a BBC Scotland documentary?

3. British actress Millie Bobby Brown married the son of which American rock-band frontman?

4. Which Canadian pop singer and his model wife announced the birth of their first son Jack in August?

5. Name the actor best known for being the voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader who died in September at the age of 93.

6. Which American actress welcomed the birth of her second child at the age of 51?

7. Alex Salmond, who died suddenly in October, served as First Minister of Scotland between which years?

8. Bill Munro, the founder of Scotland’s biggest independent chain of travel agents, died aged 80 in October. What is the chain’s name?

9. Which Australian actress announced the birth of her first child with a British film producer in October?

10. Which TV doctor and columnist died aged 67 in June after going missing on the Greek island of Symi?

Answers

Around Scotland

1. Glen Sannox

2. Stress caused by fireworks

3. Susie McCabe

4. 50mph

5. Paddy McGuinness

6. Dundee Central, where the SNP now has a majority of just 675 votes.

7. Glasgow Subway

8. Lost Shore

9. The Willy Wonka experience

10. Their controlling interest changed hands

Politics

1. Seamus Logan and Stephen Gethins

2. Politics Isn't For Me

3. North Macedonia

4. The D-Day commemorations

5. Kemi Badenoch

6. You Need To Calm Down

7. The north of Scotland

8. Transport secretary Louise Haigh

9. Neil Gray

10. Henry McLeish

Around the world

1. Donald Trump

2. Australia

3. Alaska Airlines

4. Same-sex civil marriage

5. It collapsed when struck by a container ship leaving port.

6. The International Space Station

7. Pennsylvania

8. Bluey

9. Martial law

10. Gaza's Rafah crossing

Sport

1. Novak Djokovic

2. Bob MacIntyre

3. Silver

4. Arne Engels

5. Scott McTominay and an Antonio Rudiger own goal

6. Tom Jordan

7. Switzerland

8. Bulls

9. Bethpage Black

10. Jack Catterall

In the arts

1. Macbeth

2. John Rebus

3. Amy Gledhill

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

5. Justin Currie

6. Poor Things

7. Alan Cumming

8. One Day

9. Andy Gray

10. Three

Odds and ends

1. Edible glitter

2. A hidden library that could be booked for just £7 in honour of World Book Day.

3. Get divorced

4. A lemon

5. EastEnders’ Queen Vic.

6. A swarm of bees

7. 100 couples married in the venue in a single day

8. Completed her first parachute jump, becoming Britain’s oldest parachutist.

9. Brussels sprouts

10. Stonehenge

Showbiz

1. Dianne Buswell

2. Sarah Jessica Parker

3. His chickens - a Christmas present from his wife in 2023

4. Danny Jones.

5. David Tennant

6. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez

7. Sir Ian McKellen

8. Raye

9. Inside Out 2

10. Reese Witherspoon

Who said…

1. Luke Littler

2. Barry Keoghan

3. Marjorie Taylor Greene

4. Alex Salmond

5. The Princess of Wales

6. Nigel Farage

7. Oasis

8. Taylor Swift

9. Donald Trump

10. Joe Marler

Royal

1. The London Clinic

2. Mirror Group Newspapers

3. Prince Louis

4. Cancer Research UK

5. The Princess Royal

6. William revealed it had left Princess Charlotte in floods of tears. He later managed to bring her round

7. Songs Of Praise

8. Lidia Thorpe

9. Princess Beatrice

10. 25 years of the Scottish Parliament being reconvened

BMDs

1. Minerva McGonagall

2. Lena Zavaroni

3. Jon Bon Jovi

4. Justin and Hailey Bieber

5. James Earl Jones

6. Cameron Diaz

7. 2007 to 2014

8. Barrhead Travel

9. Margot Robbie with husband Tom Ackerley

10. Michael Mosley