26707: Malcolm Macdonald

Calum Mhurchaidh Aonghais

Malcolm (1912-1999)  was a son of Murdo Macdonald and Mary Ann Maclean from 10 Breaclete. After leaving the Nicolson Institute he studied history at Edinburgh University.

In 1934 he married Williamina Seaforth Ross from Inverness and formerly of the Isle of Scarp. Malcolm and Williamina lived in Edinburgh where they had five of their six children.

Malcolm made a living marketing lobsters for the Bernera fishermen. In 1939 he joined the Royal Air Force where he became a Squadron Leader. The family moved to Swindon where one of their children was born. Malcolm was based in Iceland then Gibraltar. After the war ended  Malcolm opened a stationers in Marchmont, Edinburgh and operated a printing press which, although self-taught, he soon mastered and by 1957 he founded Macdonald Printers and Publishers.

In 1972 he was presented with a Scottish Arts Council award in recognition of his services to literature and in 1982 was appointed honorary member of the Scottish Library Association in recognition of distinguished service to librarianship and the library profession. In the same year he retired from what had become Macdonald Printers.

Malcolm was widowed in 1986 and in 1989 he married poet Tessa Ransford. The National Library of Scotland mounted an exhibition of his publishing in 1987 and he was awarded an MBE in 1992.