It’s typical that we make lists at this time of year as a way to take stock of what has passed, but the subject of death is always difficult to digest.
From David Bowie and Prince through Gene Wilder and Leonard Cohen, the loss of major pop cultural forces has been well-documented throughout 2016.
Scratch beneath that surface and there are countless other figures from the more local worlds of sport, entertainment, architecture, politics and beyond who have perhaps been overlooked as we recover from the shell shock.
It would be impossible to attempt a comprehensive list of the people who have touched our lives during their time on earth, but here The Courier recognises some of the Scots who have left us in the past 12 months.
Our readers are welcomed to submit photographs of those we have been unable to find to online@thecourier.co.uk.
January
• Jim Ross, 89, Scottish-born Canadian ice hockey player (New York Rangers).
• Gareth Hoskins, 48, architect.
• Sir Albert McQuarrie, 98, politician, MP for East Aberdeenshire (1979–1983) and Banff and Buchan (1983–1987).
• Robert Banks Stewart, 84, television writer (Doctor Who, Bergerac, Shoestring).
• Angus Ross, 59, darts player.
• Tommy Bryceland, 76, footballer (St Mirren, Norwich, Oldham)
• John Dowie, 60, footballer (Fulham, Celtic).
• Ian Murray, 83, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles (1999–2008).
• Jimmy Bain, 68, bassist (Rainbow, Dio).
• Tommy O’Hara, 62, footballer (Queen of the South, Washington Diplomats, Motherwell).
• Dave Thomson, 77, footballer (Dunfermline Athletic, Queen of the South).
February
• Harry Glasgow, 76, footballer (Clyde).
• Alastair Biggar, 69, rugby union player (national team, British and Irish Lions, London Scottish).
• Walter McGowan, 73, boxer, world champion (1966).
• W. F. H. Nicolaisen, 88, German-born Scottish scholar.
• George Robin Henderson, 74, mathematician.
• Jim McFadzean, 77, footballer (Kilmarnock, Heart of Midlothian).
• Michael Bowes-Lyon, 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, 58, aristocrat.
• John Cameron, Lord Coulsfield, 81, Scottish judge (Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial), Senator of the College of Justice (1987–1992).
March
• Michael White, 80, film and theatre producer (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Tony winner (1971).
• Billy Ritchie, 79, footballer (Rangers, Partick Thistle).
• Lord Michael Jones, 68, judge.
• Sandy McDonald, 78, Christian minister, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (1997–1998), pulmonary fibrosis.
• Ken Barr, 83, artist who worked for DC and Marvel Comics.
• Ian Britton, 61, football player (Chelsea, Blackpool, Burnley) and manager (Nelson).
• Jimmy Toner, 92, footballer (Dundee, Leeds United).
• Ronnie Corbett, 85, comedian and actor (The Two Ronnies, The Frost Report, Casino Royale).
April
• Jock Scot, 64, poet and recording artist.
• John Lumsden, 55, footballer (Stoke City).
May
• Gordon Strachan, 68, rugby union player.
• Chris Mitchell, 27, footballer (Queen of the South, Clyde).
• George Ross, 73, footballer (Preston North End).
• Bobby Carroll, 77, footballer (scored Celtic’s first goal in European competition).
• Joe Temperley, 86, saxophonist (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra).
• John Coyle, 83, footballer (Dundee United).
• Ken Cameron, 74, trade union leader.
• Ian Gibson, 73, footballer (Cardiff City, Coventry City, Middlesbrough).
June
• Alex Govan, 86, Scottish footballer (Plymouth Argyle, Birmingham City).
• Willie Logie, 83, Scottish footballer.
July
• Sir Malcolm Macnaughton, 91, obstetrician and gynaecologist.
• Jimmy Frizzell, 79, football player and manager.
• James Gilbert, 93, television producer (The Two Ronnies, Last of the Summer Wine).
• Jackie McInally, 76, footballer (Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Hamilton Academical).
• Tom McCready, 72, footballer (Wimbledon F.C.).
• Dick Donnelly, 74, footballer and journalist.
• Thomas Sutherland, 85, Scottish-born American academic and Islamic jihad hostage.
• Ian King, 79, footballer (Leicester City F.C.).
• Maggie Macdonald, 63, Gaelic singer.
• Anne Hepburn, 90, missionary and teacher.
August
• Jonathan Borwein, 65, mathematician.
• Joe Davis, 75, footballer (Hibernian, Carlisle United).
• Samuel Robin Spark, 78, artist.
• William Landles, 92, sculptor.
• Danus Skene, 72, politician.
• Rab Stewart, 54, footballer (Dunfermline Athletic, Motherwell, Falkirk).
September
• Frans ten Bos, 79, British rugby union player (Scotland).
• George McLeod, 83, footballer.
• Max Murray, 80, footballer (Rangers, West Bromwich Albion).
• Matt Gray, 80, footballer (Third Lanark, Manchester City).
• Alan Cousin, 78, footballer (Dundee, Hibernian, Falkirk).
• Ronald King Murray, Lord Murray, 94, politician and jurist, Lord Advocate (1974–1979).
• Mike Towell, 25, professional boxer.
October
• David Herd, 82, footballer (Arsenal, Manchester United, national team).
• Alistair Urquhart, 97, author and soldier (Gordon Highlanders).
• Angus Grant, 49, fiddler (Shooglenifty, Swamptrash).
• Gerry Gow, 64, footballer (Bristol City, Manchester City, Rotherham).
• Eddie O’Hara, 80, footballer (Falkirk, Everton, Barnsley).
• Ricky Callan, 54, actor (Rab C. Nesbitt, The Acid House).
• John Mone, 87, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Paisley (1988–2004).
• George Peebles, 80, footballer (Dunfermline, Stirling Albion).
• Gordon Hamilton, 50, climate scientist.
• Benjamin Creme, 93, artist, author and esotericist.
• Bobby Wellins, 80, jazz saxophonist.
November
• Ian Cowan, 71, footballer (Partick Thistle, Falkirk, Dunfermline Athletic).
• Jim Gillespie, 69, footballer (Dunfermline Athletic).
• David Provan, 75, footballer (Rangers).
• Duncan B. Forrester, 83, theologian.
December
• Dave MacLaren, 82, football player and manager (Plymouth).
• Alex Johnstone, 55, politician, MSP for North East Scotland (since 1999).
• Allan Stewart, 74, politician, MP for East Renfrewshire (1979–1983), Eastwood(1983–1997).
• Tommy McCulloch, 82, footballer (Clyde).
• Ian McCaskill, 78, weather forecaster.
