It was, of course, the year Heart of Midlothian FC came within a whisker of lifting the Scottish Premier League title – only to be denied on the final day of the season.
The Jam Tarts had been in top form, with a league and cup double on the cards as the Gorgie side approached the final few games of the 1985/86 season.
Sadly for Hearts fans, it would all end in tears.
The Edinburgh club surrendered their league title ambitions in bizarre fashion within minutes of the final whistle of the last game of the season. A 2-0 loss away to Dundee, and Celtic’s 5-0 win at St Mirren consigned a broken Hearts to second place.
To make things worse, Hearts would then lose 3-0 to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final.
In other news that year, Edinburgh played host to the Commonwealth Games.
Auld Reekie had been praised for its hosting of the 1970 Commonwealth Games 16 years earlier – but the Capital’s second attempt at playing host would sadly be swept up in controversy.
Firstly, the city had practically received the 1986 games by default, as no other city had wanted them. Then, in the run up to the summer event, a mass boycott was staged in response to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s refusal to impose sanctions on South Africa’s apartheid administration.
From 59 potential participating nations, just 27 would make the trip to Edinburgh to compete in what would become unofficially known as the ‘Boycott Games’.
These are just some memories of Capital life in 1986 – scroll through our picture gallery for more.
1. Memories of Edinburgh in 1986
Take a look through our photo gallery for a trip back in time to 1986. Photo: Third Party
2. Madame Doubtfire's
Madame Doubtfire's junk shop in Stockbridge in 1982 (the shop closed and was sold on when Madame Doubtfire died in 1979). Madame Doubtfire, the old woman who ran the shop, was the inspiration for a book (and later a film) by the same name, written by Anne Fine in 1986. Photo: George Smith
3. Iron Lady
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher speaks to Peter Heatly and Robert Maxwell when she visits the Games village during the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games 1986, held at Meadowbank stadium. Photo: Hamish Campbell
4. Why the long face?
Hamish Taylor and Rob Roger dressed as a panto horse for Edinburgh Students Charities week fundraising in December 1986 - the horse reading the Evening News at Waverley station. Photo: Crauford Tait