Fergie MacDonald MBE
1937-2014
The Ceilidh King
Hundreds of musicians, shinty players, stalkers and friends from the surrounding villages and hills gathered in Our Lady of the Angels Church in Mingarry on Monday (April 29) to say and play their final farewells to one of the country’s best known and most loved entertainers.
His full name was Duncan Ferguson MacDonald, named after the doctor who ushered him into the world. Fergie was descended from a direct line of Moidart MacDonald Clanranalds, immensely proud of his Gaelic, the local history and the heritage of the wider Highlands.
Educated at Mingarry Primary and Fort William High Schools, Fergie went on to join the army where he became a physical training instructor. On leaving the army, he graduated as a physiotherapist in Glasgow and progressed to become a physiotherapist to Partick Thistle FC and later a trainer for Fort William Shinty Club in the 1970s, often entertaining the club and friends at their annual Dinner Dances in the Milton Hotel.
Fergie formed his first band in 1953, had his first BBC radio broadcast and first television appearances in 1964, and recorded no less than 50 vinyl, cassette and CD albums. Despite being banned by the BBC at one time then resinstated.
Fergie made the button box an international instrument with global recognition. He lived a more than full life as a stalker (deer management was his expertise) and his life was transformed when, in 1966 he topped the Scottish singles charts with Loch Maree Islands, to which he exited the beautiful little church near his home, before being laid to rest in the policies of his empire.
He was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and awarded an MBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List in recognition of his services to Scottish traditional music in a career spanning over 70 years.
Fergie was honoured in Parliament in Scotland and Westminster. Last week, the UK Parliament marked his passing when the following motion was tabled: “That this House notes with sadness the passing of the great Fergie MacDonald, the legendary Scottish Ceilidh King and bandleader, who died aged 86 on 23 April 2024; pays tribute to his life and the joy and delight he brought to so many throughout the Highlands, Scotland, the pan-Celtic nations and through many other parts of the world.”
Facebook was inundated with tributes to the local legend. The police closed the road to allow the procession to pass from the church to a marquee before the coffin was taken to its final resting place, which had been detailed and laid out by the maestro himself. The graveside service concluded with three volleys of a ten or twelve-gun salute (no-one was counting in the face of sweeping rain) from friends and family including his wife Maureen (who was a great shot herself) and his sons John and James, recognisiing Fergie’s great talent as a crack shot in the sporting arena as well as the hills and glens.
The service was wonderfully led by Father Joseph Udoh MSP.
Gary Innes was amongst those leading tributes. He said: “It’s impossible to know where to start when talking about Fergie MacDonald. The man, the myth, the legend. It was always an absolute privilege to be in his company – to sit beside him on and offstage, hear him play, listen to his stories and learn what mischief he had been up to will forever live on as some of my favourite memories.
Everybody that knew him have their own stories of Fergie, and each and every one of those stories end with everyone laughing out loud. He truly was a one-off.
Musically he transcended generations and always brought people together. His music has been celebrated all across the world and his love for tunes and tune-writing will certainly leave a legacy in the traditional music world. There is barely a dance or a session that doesn’t have at least one Fergie tune played at some point, and don’t get me started on the song writing! They certainly broke the mould when making the Ferg and his impact and contribution to traditional music is quite simply immeasurable. Rest easy Fergie boy and keep the fingers going until we next catch up for a tune.
Thank you for the memories and thank you for being you.”
Dr Hugh Dan MacLennan, who had known Fergie since the 1970s when he trained Fort William shinty club said: “Fergie was a gigantic figure in the musical world, a unique and very special talent. He was also a wonderful individual who faced down adversity and brought joy to people in numbers beyond comprehension. Sàr charaid agus sàr Ghàidheal air am bi ionndrainn mhòr.”
Fergie accumulated more accolades over the years than you could shake an accordion at and this also included being inducted into the Scottish traditional music Hall of Fame. His song The Shinty Referee was also an international hit and reached the top of the iTunes World Music Charts. The Shinty Referee himself Henry MacInnes was amongst those celebrating Fergie’s life and times.
As John Ross said in his account of the day in the Press and Journal “But he was more than just a musician. He once listed his other occupations over the years as band leader, hotelier, poacher, gamekeeper, red deer manager, singer, writer, composer, local historian and Highland Games chieftain. Each aspect of his life was represented with items laid by his family at the front of the church at the start of the service – his accordion, a microphone, a set of antlers and his international shooting jacket.”
At the end of the service which included a moving tribute to the Ceilidh King from the family delivered by Angus MacPhail of Skippinish along with his own personal thoughts, Mary Ann Kennedy and Margaret Ford beautifully and emotionally sang in Gaelic accompanied by Fergie’s son John on accordion, as well as musicians Phil Cunningham, Ingrid Henderson and Iain MacFarlane.
It was followed by a rendition of the song Loch Maree Islands which Fergie took to the top of the Scottish pop charts in 1966 and became his signature tune.
The coffin was then carried from the church, led by four pipers playing the tune Afghanistan, written by Fergie.
As the rain continued to fall, the procession made the short distance to the family home and burial plot.
However, to everyone Fergie was a musical genius. The maestro of the box, and a wonderful family man, husband to Maureen and father to Morven Anne, Angela, John and James. A friend to many and a person who brought joy to numbers beyond measure. Fois is sìth dhut Fergie. RIP.