Remembering Fergie MacDonald

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; further notes that he lived a full Highland life as a stalker, gamekeeper, maybe even poacher, and most famously as a musician with the button box accordion, previous to that he was a physiotherapist to Partick Thistle FC in Glasgow and a trainer for the Fort William Shinty Club; also notes his successful music career spanning over 60 years with 23 released albums and many more original musical compositions, including topping the Scottish singles charts in 1966 with Loch Maree Islands; recognises his induction into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame; recalls his fantastic biography Fergie: Memoirs of a Musical Legend with Allan Henderson; remembers fondly his sense of fun, character, wit, humour and good nature which is why his passing is noted especially by so many Highland communities who valued and loved Fergie being Fergie with his trademark red socks on some small village hall stage entertaining the local community or a variety of weddings, with dances, tunes and entertaining chitchat in between which brought him affection and fans from near and far; and joins with his family and friends in mourning the passing of a Highland legend.