| Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland | |
|---|---|
| Neach-gleidhidh Seula Mòr na h-Alba (Scottish Gaelic) | |
 Royal Coat of Arms used by the Monarch in Scotland | |
 Flag of Scotland  Royal Banner of Scotland | |
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Scottish Government Crown Estate Scotland Registers of Scotland | |
| Status | Great Officer of State in Scotland |
| Member of | Privy Council Scottish Government Scottish Cabinet |
| Residence | Bute House |
| Appointer | The Monarch |
| Term length | Whilst serving as first minister |
| Formation | 1389 |
| First holder | Sir Alexander de Cockburn (1389–1396) |
| Unofficial names | Keeper of the Seal of Scotland Keeper of the Scottish Seal |
| Deputy | |
| Website | Registers of the Great Seal |
The keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Neach-gleidhidh Seula Mòr na h-Alba) is one of the great officers of state in Scotland held concurrently with the post of first minister of Scotland. The office holder is the keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, the seal used by the sitting monarch to sign acts of the Scottish Parliament and permits the keeper to make decisions on behalf of the monarch.[1] The incumbent keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland is John Swinney since 8 May 2024.[2]
Under the terms of a royal warrant of 1818,[3] the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland, the Lord Clerk Register, the Lord Advocate, and the Lord Justice Clerk are ex-officio Commissioners for the Keeping of the Regalia.[4] Since 1996, the commissioners have also been empowered by another royal warrant for the safekeeping of the Stone of Scone and for the arrangement of its return to Westminster Abbey for the next British coronation.[5]
Whilst Scotland was an independent sovereign country as the Kingdom of Scotland, the post was formerly known as keeper of the Seal of the Kingdom of Scotland. The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland is the Deputy Keeper of the Great Seal, and ultimately responsible for its use. The Register of the Great Seal is the oldest national record in Scotland.[6]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Keeper of the Great Sealwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "John Swinney is sworn in as Scotland's first minister". BBC News. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ "Scottish Regalia". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 1. United Kingdom: House of Commons. 26 March 1981. col. 395W.
- ^ "Stone of Destiny to stay in Edinburgh Castle". The Herald. 14 December 2006. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "20 lesser known facts about the Stone of Destiny". Edinburgh Castle. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
- ^ "Register of the Great Seal". ros.gov.uk. Registers of Scotland. Retrieved 28 December 2023.