From an apprentice in the drawing office of Hall Russell to overseeing shipyards in Hong Kong, retired Ballater guest house owner Duncan Macrae never lost his spirit of adventure.
The father-of-three from Aberdeen has died aged 87 but leaves behind a legacy of community contribution and tales of world travels, mountain climbing, ousting communists and even an attempt to start his own bank.
Early years
Duncan Macrae was born in Carden Place, Aberdeen, on March 2 1936 to Elizabeth and Duncan Macrae, a commercial traveller. His twin, John, died during childbirth, and he had one sister, Sheila.
When Duncan senior died in 1947, followed by Elizabeth six years later, Sheila moved in with family in Lanarkshire.
Duncan lodged in the Colwyn Hotel on Dee Street to pursue his drawing office apprenticeship with Hall Russell and Company.
On top of his day job he also studied naval architecture at Robert Gordon’s Technical College.
Ever adventurous
Duncan was an active member of the 27th Aberdeen Scout Group. As an assistant Scoutmaster he enjoyed camps at Templars Park. During one such stay he took up a challenge to race a canoe down the Dee from Ballater to Aberdeen.
“His rubber inflatable canoe was bouncing off the rocks. Legend has it that someone with an air rifle tried to shoot a hole in dad’s canoe, while others in fibreglass vessels were smashed to pieces,” said Finlay Macrae, Duncan’s son.
That spirit of adventure never waned.
Duncan became a keen climber, relishing some first ascents of the Cairngorms. These included the Lucifer Route, Slugain Buttress and Forefinger Pinnacle Direct with his friend Gus Faulkner who later became Duncan’s best man.
From home to Hong Kong
With his apprenticeship competed, deferred National Service was next. From September 1959 until September 1961 he served in the RAF posted to Changi Hospital, Singapore, to work as a nurse attendant.
While there he learned to sail – a pastime he’d later share with his children.
In 1962 Duncan married Audrey Ogston in Ferryhill South Church. The couple had met seven years earlier at the Post Office in Dinnet when Duncan was at Scout camp and Audrey was at her Girl Guide equivalent.
Shortly after they set off for Hong Kong. Duncan’s next role was in the drawing office of Taikoo Dockyard.
From a small council house in Aberdeen starting his career as an apprentice he would eventually become deputy managing director of Hong Kong United Dockyards.
A communist in the ranks
The couple welcomed their first son, Finlay, in 1963, daughter Fiona in 1967 – during the communist riots in Hong Kong – and Kenneth arrived in 1972.
The riots proved a threat to dockyard – which had to close in order “to weed out left-wing workers” from the thousands who worked there.
Duncan had to sack one of his men.
He wrote: “In the drawing office, my number one was a brilliant draughtsman by the name of Tam Mo Pun. Unfortunately, Tam was also a brilliant communist and an active instigator during the riots. In view of this he received a two-year prison sentence.”
After his release he started his own firm and when the Macraes were leaving for Scotland Tam Mo Pun invited them to a farewell meal at one of Hong Kong’s best hotels.
“And this was a man I had sent to jail some 19 years earlier,” Duncan wrote.
Privileged living
Kenneth said: “We enjoyed a very privileged lifestyle in Hong Kong, I remember many happy weekends exploring the coastline on the company motor yacht when it wasn’t being used for corporate events.
“We also benefitted from dad’s work paying for business-class tickets for each trip home. Ever the Aberdonian, rather than take the tickets, dad used the value to pay for economy class flights so we could holiday elsewhere, as well as the annual pilgrimage to Aberdeen.”
No rest in retirement
When Duncan retired in 1986 he and Audrey settled in Braemar, where he shared his love of the mountains with his children. Together they scaled Lochnagar several times, taking Duncan’s total ascents of the mountain to well over 40.
Despite retiring, new adventures still awaited.
The first was the opening of Ballater guest house, Glenbardie, keeping them busy in the summer, while winter was back in Braemar.
The second was Duncan’s ambition to start his own bank following a dispute with a Braemar bank manager. Though deterred somewhat by the Bank of England paperwork to do so, he did manage to get his name and title – “director of the Bank of Upper Deeside” – into a Grampian Regional Council business directory,” at least for a little while.
Devoted grandfather
Sailing also remained one of Duncan’s passions. He acquired a Westerly 22’ named Kelpie, moored at Dochgarroch on the Caledonian Canal, from which he visited almost every Scottish island.
Duncan was a passionate support of Ballater’s Victoria Week instigating the inaugural Ballater Duck Race, now held on the River Dee, and helping set up various stalls. However, when grandchildren came along, Duncan and Audrey moved to Sluiebeg.
With each of his beloved grandkids, Callum, Caitlin, Fergus, Catriona, Jessica and Angus, Duncan planted a tree in his garden.
Love of his life
Though his life was marked by adventure, mountains, boats, and family, his greatest devotion was to his wife.
Kenneth added: “The biggest love in his life was his wife, our mum, and it was her passing in May this year that heralded the end for dad. He was truly lost without her, and as a ship without a rudder had lost his determination and purpose.”
In July Duncan was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary before being transferred to Aboyne Community Hospital. He passed away on August 3. A celebration of his life took place August 18 at Baldarroch Crematorium.
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