Alasdair Alpin MacGregor (March 20, 1899 – 1970) was a Scottish writer and photographer, known for a large number of travel books. He wrote also on Scottish folklore, and was a published poet.
MacGregor was brought up in Tain and Inverness, and educated there and in Edinburgh. His books were mainly about Scotland, and his romanticising style incurred the displeasure of Compton Mackenzie, who caricatured him in some of his novels (perhaps unjustly so as MacGregor was forced to be critically realistic about certain aspects of life on the west coast, in his book The Western Isles). Judging by the title of the 1931 book A Last Voyage to St. Kilda. Being the Observations and Adventures of an Egotistic Private Secretary who was alleged to have been 'warned off' That Island by Admiralty Officials when attempting to emulate Robinson Crusoe at the Time of Its Evacuation there might have been something to caricature. In partial explanation, St Kilda was evacuated in 1930; at the time he was Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The same book was the subject of a legal case when MacGregor brought an injunction to prevent the distribution of The Edge of the World, a film by Michael Powell that he claimed was based on it. MacGregor lost the case.
He lived in London for most of his adult life in Swan Court and Upper Cheyne Row, Chelsea. Along with T. Ratcliffe Barnett, an Edinburgh minister and author, MacGregor reflects a transitional period during the first half of the 20th century when the north of Scotland was still rural and mostly unaffected by modern society.
His book about his childhood, The Goat Wife, tells the evocative story of his hard working and resourceful Aunt Dorothy, who left a comfortable existence in Edinburgh's Ann Street - reputed to be the most haunted street in Edinburgh - to begin life as a solo crofter in the Easter Ross village of Ardgay (then known locally as "High Wind"). Spanning the period before the First World War until the end of the Second, it captures the last remnants of the simplicity, privations and charm of Scottish rural community life. The "Victor" in the book is the poet Frederick Victor Branford.
Publicationsedit
Behold the Hebrides! (First published 1925, Revised Edition 1948)
Over the Sea to Skye: Or, Ramblings in an Elfin Isle (1926)
Wild Drumalban or the Road to Meggernie and Glencoe (1927)
Summer Days Among The Western Isles (1929)
A Last Voyage To St. Kilda (1931)
Searching the Hebrides With a Camera (1933)
The Haunted Isles: Or, Life in the Hebrides (1933)
The Peat-Fire Flame: Folk-tales and Traditions of the Highlands and Islands (1937)
The Goat Wife: Portrait of a Village (1939)
Vanished Waters: Portrait of a Highland Childhood (1946)
The Western Isles (1949)
Skye and the Outer Hebrides (1953)
Auld Reekie: Portrait of a Lowland Boyhood (1955)
The Ghost Book: Strange Hauntings in Britain (1955)
The Turbulent Years: A Portrait of Youth in Auld Reekie (1956)
Journeyman Taylor: The Education of a Scientist (1958, rewrite of the Thomas Griffith Taylor autobiography)[3]
alasdair, alpin, macgregor, march, 1899, 1970, scottish, writer, photographer, known, large, number, travel, books, wrote, also, scottish, folklore, published, poet, life, edithe, born, applecross, ross, cromarty, march, 1899, colonel, john, macgregor, indian,. Alasdair Alpin MacGregor March 20 1899 1970 was a Scottish writer and photographer known for a large number of travel books He wrote also on Scottish folklore and was a published poet Life editHe was born at Applecross Ross and Cromarty on 20 March 1899 the son of Colonel John MacGregor M D of the Indian Medical Service He was educated at Tain Academy 1 MacGregor was brought up in Tain and Inverness and educated there and in Edinburgh His books were mainly about Scotland and his romanticising style incurred the displeasure of Compton Mackenzie who caricatured him in some of his novels perhaps unjustly so as MacGregor was forced to be critically realistic about certain aspects of life on the west coast in his book The Western Isles Judging by the title of the 1931 book A Last Voyage to St Kilda Being the Observations and Adventures of an Egotistic Private Secretary who was alleged to have been warned off That Island by Admiralty Officials when attempting to emulate Robinson Crusoe at the Time of Its Evacuation there might have been something to caricature In partial explanation St Kilda was evacuated in 1930 at the time he was Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The same book was the subject of a legal case when MacGregor brought an injunction to prevent the distribution of The Edge of the World a film by Michael Powell that he claimed was based on it MacGregor lost the case He lived in London for most of his adult life in Swan Court and Upper Cheyne Row Chelsea Along with T Ratcliffe Barnett an Edinburgh minister and author MacGregor reflects a transitional period during the first half of the 20th century when the north of Scotland was still rural and mostly unaffected by modern society MacGregor was also a campaigner against cruelty to animals including vivisection and hunting for sport 2 In the years before his death in 1970 he visited the United States often and was a mentor to a young Marion Barry who later became mayor of Washington D C citation needed His book about his childhood The Goat Wife tells the evocative story of his hard working and resourceful Aunt Dorothy who left a comfortable existence in Edinburgh s Ann Street reputed to be the most haunted street in Edinburgh to begin life as a solo crofter in the Easter Ross village of Ardgay then known locally as High Wind Spanning the period before the First World War until the end of the Second it captures the last remnants of the simplicity privations and charm of Scottish rural community life The Victor in the book is the poet Frederick Victor Branford Publications editBehold the Hebrides First published 1925 Revised Edition 1948 Over the Sea to Skye Or Ramblings in an Elfin Isle 1926 Wild Drumalban or the Road to Meggernie and Glencoe 1927 Summer Days Among The Western Isles 1929 A Last Voyage To St Kilda 1931 Searching the Hebrides With a Camera 1933 The Haunted Isles Or Life in the Hebrides 1933 The Peat Fire Flame Folk tales and Traditions of the Highlands and Islands 1937 The Goat Wife Portrait of a Village 1939 Vanished Waters Portrait of a Highland Childhood 1946 The Western Isles 1949 Skye and the Outer Hebrides 1953 Auld Reekie Portrait of a Lowland Boyhood 1955 The Ghost Book Strange Hauntings in Britain 1955 The Turbulent Years A Portrait of Youth in Auld Reekie 1956 Journeyman Taylor The Education of a Scientist 1958 rewrite of the Thomas Griffith Taylor autobiography 3 Phantom Footsteps A Second Ghost Book 1959 Percyval Tudor Hart Portrait of an Artist 1961 The Golden Lamp Portrait of a Landlady 1964 Land of the Mountain and the Flood 1965 The Enchanted Isles 1967 The Farthest Hebrides 1969 4 Islands by the Score 1971 Notes edit Richard Whittington Egan 1991 William Roughead s Chronicles of Murder Lochar Pub p 336 ISBN 978 0 948403 55 2 Uproar at RSPCA meeting Protests against blood sports The Times 26 June 1931 p 11 Stamp L Dudley 1959 Reviewed Work Journeyman Taylor The Education of a Scientist by Griffith Taylor The Geographical Journal 125 121 122 Marshall Cornwell James 1970 The Farthest Hebrides The Geographical Journal 136 111 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alasdair Alpin MacGregor amp oldid 1210649753, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
