Obituary: Brigadier Sir Gregor MacGregor

Of MacGregor 23rd Chief of Clan Gregor. Died aged 77.

MacGregor, who became Clan Chief in 1959, not only held a belief in the ideals of clanship, but also believed in practising them.

When serving with the British Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1970, he was sent a family tree by an American clanswoman - his correspondent was investigating her relationship to a MacGregor cadet line. In his reply, MacGregor apologised for not having clan genealogical books with him - and then from memory provided a wealth of ancestral detail dating to the 15th century.

Freemasonry provided another vital strand to his life. He was Grand Master Mason of Scotland for five years from 1988, travelling tirelessly to masonic ceremonies.

Gregor MacGregor was born on December 22, 1925, the son of Captain Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor, 5th Bt, and his wife Gylla (naacée Rollo). Known to close friends as George, he grew up at the family home near Lochearnhead, Perthshire.

Aged 19, he was commissioned into the Scots Guards and joined the 2nd Battalion in Europe in the last months of World War II, beginning a long and distinguished military career.

He served in Palestine with 1st (Guards) Parachute Battalion in 1947 and 1948. He returned to the 2nd Battalion in 1950, serving in Malaya before transferring to the 1st Battalion in 1956. In 1966 he returned to Malaysia in command of the 1st Battalion.

He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding Scots Guards in 1971. In 1975 he moved to the British Embassy, Athens, as defence and military attachaacé. After promotion to brigadier, he commanded 52nd (Lowlands) Brigade, based at Edinburgh Castle.. He retired in 1980.

A good horseman, MacGregor was once passing in front of the band when his mount noisily broke wind.

"Sorry about that, Brigade of Drums," he called out. "That's all right, sir," a piper retorted. "We thought it was the horse."