# List of first ministers of Scotland

* Top left: Donald Dewar was the first ever first minister of Scotland
* Top right: Alex Salmond was the first SNP leader to win an election in Scotland
* Bottom left: Nicola Sturgeon was the first female and longest serving first minister
* Bottom right: John Swinney is the current and seventh since devolution
The first minister of Scotland is the head of government of Scotland, leader of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Scottish Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the rest of the United Kingdom, Europe and international relations. Since the establishment of the office in 1999, seven men (including both tenures as acting first minister by Jim Wallace) and one woman has served in the position.
Donald Dewar was the inaugural person to hold the position following his election in 1999 and is regarded as the "Father of the Nation". Following Dewar's death in 2000 whilst still serving in office, he was succeeded by his enterprise minister, Henry McLeish. McLeish resigned from the office of first minister on 8 November 2001 following the officegate scandal and is the shortest-serving first minister, having served in the role for 1 year and 12 days. Humza Yousaf, who served as first minister between March 2023 and May 2024 is the second shortest–serving first minister after a period in office of 1 year and 39 days. Sturgeon is the longest-serving first minister, having surpassed Salmond on 25 May 2022. Salmond in turn spent a total of 7 and a half years in the role.
The current first minister is John Swinney, who leads the Government of the 6th Scottish Parliament, as did his predecessors Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon. Before that, Alex Salmond, led the governments of the 3rd and 4th Scottish Parliaments which was first elected in 2007 as a minority government, and re-elected in 2011, where they formed the first majority government in the 5th Scottish Parliament. The first minister is a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), and is nominated by the Scottish Parliament before being officially appointed by the monarch.

## List of first ministers of Scotland

The parties shown are those to which the first ministers belonged to at the time they held office, and the constituencies shown are those they represented while in office.

### Status

Background and italics indicates caretaker first minister

### Legend

* — Indicates appointed without an election
* (—) Indicates acting first minister
* † Indicates died in office
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Election (parliament) | Government | Deputy | Monarch (reign) | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) constituency | Took office | Left office | Tenure | Party | Party | Election (parliament) | Government | Deputy | Monarch (reign) | Ref. |
| 1 | | Donald Dewar (1937–2000) MSP for Glasgow Anniesland Premiership | 17 May 1999 | 11 October 2000† | 1 year, 147 days | | Labour | 1999 (1st) | Dewar Lab – LD | Jim Wallace | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| (—) | | Jim Wallace (born 1954) MSP for Orkney | 11 October 2000 | 27 October 2000 | 16 days | | Liberal Democrat | — (1st) | Dewar Lab – LD (caretaker) | Jim Wallace | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| 2 | | Henry McLeish (born 1948) MSP for Central Fife Premiership | 27 October 2000 | 8 November 2001 | 1 year, 12 days | | Labour | — (1st) | McLeish Lab – LD | Jim Wallace | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| (—) | | Jim Wallace (born 1954) MSP for Orkney | 8 November 2001 | 27 November 2001 | 19 days | | Liberal Democrat | — (1st) | McLeish Lab – LD (caretaker) | Jim Wallace | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| 3 | | Jack McConnell (born 1960) MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw Premiership | 27 November 2001 | 16 May 2007 | 5 years, 170 days | | Labour | — (1st) | McConnell I Lab – LD | Jim Wallace | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 3 | | Jack McConnell (born 1960) MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw Premiership | 27 November 2001 | 16 May 2007 | 5 years, 170 days | | Labour | 2003 (2nd) | McConnell II Lab – LD | | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 3 | | Jack McConnell (born 1960) MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw Premiership | 27 November 2001 | 16 May 2007 | 5 years, 170 days | | Labour | 2003 (2nd) | McConnell II Lab – LD | Nicol Stephen | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 4 | | Alex Salmond (1954–2024) MSP for Gordon (until 2011) MSP for Aberdeenshire East (from 2011) Premiership | 17 May 2007 | 18 November 2014 | 7 years, 185 days | | SNP | 2007 (3rd) | Salmond I SNP (minority) | Nicola Sturgeon | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| 4 | | Alex Salmond (1954–2024) MSP for Gordon (until 2011) MSP for Aberdeenshire East (from 2011) Premiership | 17 May 2007 | 18 November 2014 | 7 years, 185 days | | SNP | 2011 (4th) | Salmond II SNP | Nicola Sturgeon | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| 5 | | Nicola Sturgeon (born 1970) MSP for Glasgow Southside Premiership | 20 November 2014 | 28 March 2023 | 8 years, 128 days | | SNP | — (4th) | Sturgeon I SNP | John Swinney | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| 5 | | Nicola Sturgeon (born 1970) MSP for Glasgow Southside Premiership | 20 November 2014 | 28 March 2023 | 8 years, 128 days | | SNP | 2016 (5th) | Sturgeon II SNP (minority) | John Swinney | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| 5 | | Nicola Sturgeon (born 1970) MSP for Glasgow Southside Premiership | 20 November 2014 | 28 March 2023 | 8 years, 128 days | | SNP | 2021 (6th) | Sturgeon III SNP – Green | John Swinney | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) | |
| 5 | | Nicola Sturgeon (born 1970) MSP for Glasgow Southside Premiership | 20 November 2014 | 28 March 2023 | 8 years, 128 days | | SNP | 2021 (6th) | Sturgeon III SNP – Green | John Swinney | Charles III (2022–present) | |
| 6 | | Humza Yousaf (born 1985) MSP for Glasgow Pollok Premiership | 29 March 2023 | 7 May 2024 | 1 year, 39 days | | SNP | — (6th) | Yousaf I SNP – Green | Shona Robison | Charles III (2022–present) | |
| 6 | | Humza Yousaf (born 1985) MSP for Glasgow Pollok Premiership | 29 March 2023 | 7 May 2024 | 1 year, 39 days | | SNP | — (6th) | Yousaf II SNP (minority) | Shona Robison | Charles III (2022–present) | |
| 7 | | John Swinney (born 1964) MSP for Perthshire North Premiership | 8 May 2024 | Incumbent | 311 days | | SNP | — (6th) | Swinney SNP (minority) | Kate Forbes | Charles III (2022–present) | |