Ex-Highlands and Islands Tory MSP Sir Jamie McGrigor dies aged 75

Sir Jamie McGrigor, the former Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, has died aged 75.

Sir Jamie was elected to the first devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999.

He served as an MSP for 17 years and later as a Tory councillor in Argyll and Bute.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay described Sir Jamie as “a true champion of the Highlands and Islands”.

He added: “I’m deeply saddened to hear of Sir Jamie’s death, and, on behalf of everyone in the Scottish Conservatives, send my condolences to his family and friends.

“Sir Jamie excelled in a number of frontbench roles, including fisheries, and was popular and respected by colleagues from across the political spectrum.”

First Minister John Swinney also paid tribute to the veteran politician.

He posted on X: “Very sorry to hear of the passing of Jamie McGrigor.

“We came from different political traditions and often held opposing views, but as an MSP, Jamie was a warm, engaging presence and was deeply committed to the Highlands and Islands.

“My thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Sir James Angus Rhoderick Neil McGrigor was born in London in 1949, to a family with connections to Argyll, where he was raised, and educated at Eton College.

He graduated with a degree in commercial French at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, before working in finance in London, and in the commodities sector in Glasgow.

He was also a farmer, and started a trout farm in Argyll in the 1970s.

Sir Jamie stood as the Conservative candidate in the Western Isles in the 1997 general election, before being elected to the Scottish Parliament two years later.

He was a Scottish Conservative spokesman on fisheries, communities and sport.

He stood down in 2016, becoming a councillor for the South Oban and Islands Ward on Argyll and Bute Council between 2017 and 2022.