The lack of information about the relationship between homicide and violence was identified as a gap in knowledge over 25 years ago. Despite this, little research has been conducted regarding this relationship on a national level since then. It has not been examined in Scotland either, despite Scotland’s apparent reputation of being the most violent country in the developed world. Even so, many studies assume that there is a relationship between the trends in homicide and the trends in serious violence, considering homicide the extreme end of a violence spectrum. However, this might be potentially problematic if homicide is not representative of the levels of violence within a country. This paper presents the initial steps towards examining the relationship between homicide and serious violence, including sexual violence, in Scotland. The comparison of the trends and patterns of homicide and serious violence holds important implications for several reasons. Not only is comparative research regarding homicide and serious violence important since these two crimes have profound implications regarding stress placed on emergency systems, as well as the health of the family and community, but if homicide could be regarded as representative of serious violence in a country, it could have valuable insights for organisations such as the police and policy makers. This information could have beneficial implications in terms of directing policy or resources to where they are most needed, as well as making the distribution of these resources more efficient. Additionally, there are valuable substantive insights to be gained from knowing the extent to which homicide is representative of serious violence in a country, since it provides a deeper understanding of how different violent crimes are interconnected within a society.