Over 2,000 blades and firearms seized at Scottish courts in one year

Data obtained by the Daily Record through a freedom of information request reveals that security staff intercepted thousands of weapons between April 2024 and March 2025.

In total, 1,258 bladed articles and 815 knives were seized at security checkpoints. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) did not provide details on the types of knives or whether they exceeded the legal public carry limit of three inches.

Two firearms or imitations were confiscated this year following the introduction of formal recording for such items. One incident occurred at Glasgow Sheriff Court in January and another followed at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in March. Ammunition was recovered in a separate incident in February at Inverness Justice Centre.

Glasgow Sheriff Court recorded the highest number of seizures, with 278 bladed items and 123 knives. Edinburgh Sheriff Court followed, with 212 bladed weapons and 119 knives confiscated. Glasgow High Court saw 174 bladed articles seized and 51 knives, while Edinburgh High Court reported six bladed articles and 22 knives. Parliament House accounted for 56 knives and 16 bladed articles.

Rates were lower in Aberdeen and Dundee, though figures for some smaller courts were unavailable.

An SCTS spokesperson said: “SCTS takes the safety of all court users very seriously. Any item which is considered to be a potential risk to public safety will be confiscated on entering a court building and the discovery of weapons or potential weapons is immediately reported to the police.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit added: “There is no place for weapon-carrying in Scotland and we should not accept it.”