Dougie MacLean,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(born 27 September 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Described by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

as "one of Scotland's premier singer-songwriters", MacLean has performed both under his own name, and as part of multiple folk bands, since the mid 1970s. His most famous pieces include "

Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the part of Great Britain () that lies north of the River Forth, which includes most of the land area of Scotland. Today, it is used as a romantic or poetic name for all ...

", which is often dubbed Scotland's "unofficial national anthem"; and "The Gael", which became the main theme to the 1992 film ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfind ...

''. MacLean's songs have been covered by numerous popular artists. Aside from his career as a touring singer-songwriter, MacLean founded the Dunkeld Records label and recording studio with his wife Jennifer in 1983.

Origins and early work

MacLean grew up in the

Perthshire Perthshire ( locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the nor ...

countryside, where his father was a gardener. His mother played melodeon, and his father played the fiddle. To support himself in the 1970s, MacLean was a driver for

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award ...

and Merle Watson during their tour around Europe. He maintained a friendship afterward and has appeared at Merlefest. In 1976, MacLean began touring with Scottish folk band

The Tannahill Weavers The Tannahill Weavers are a band which performs traditional Scottish music. Releasing their first album in 1976, they became notable for being one of the first popular bands to incorporate the sound of the Great Highland Bagpipe in an ensemble ...

, with whom he also participated in a studio recording. In the late 1970s, he spent six months touring with Scottish band Silly Wizard. "

", from MacLean's first album with Alan Roberts (1978), is often dubbed Scotland's "unofficial national anthem".

Solo career

MacLean is described by

as "one of Scotland's premier singer-songwriters". His solo career started in 1981 and since then he has recorded numerous albums. He plays multiple instruments, including guitar, violin,

mandola The mandola (US and Canada) or tenor mandola (Ireland and UK) is a fretted, stringed musical instrument. It is to the mandolin what the viola is to the violin: the four double courses of strings tuned in fifths to the same pitches as the viola ...

viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

and

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

as well as being a singer and composer. MacLean composed "The Gael" (1990), which became the main theme to the 1992 film ''

''. He also served as music director for TAG Theatre Company's 1993 production of '' A Scots Quair'', releasing his contributions on the ''Sunset Song'' LP (1994). MacLean's songs have been recorded by many artists including

Dolores Keane Dolores Keane (born 26 September 1953) is an Irish folk singer and occasional actress. She was a founding member of the group De Dannan and has since embarked on a solo career. Background Keane was born in a small village called Sylane (near ...

Rich Mullins Richard Wayne Mullins (October 21, 1955 – September 19, 1997) was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs " Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step". Some of his albums were listed by ''CC ...

Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career s ...

Paolo Nutini Paolo Giovanni Nutini (born 9 January 1987) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley. Nutini's debut album, ''These Streets'' (2006), peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-up, '' Sunny Side Up'' (2009), deb ...

Amy Macdonald Amy Elizabeth Macdonald (born 25 August 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. In 2007, she released her debut studio album, '' This Is the Life'', which respectively produced the singles " Mr. Rock & Roll" and " This Is the Life"; the latter ...

Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that re ...

Frankie Miller Francis John Miller (born 2 November 1949) is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter and actor. Miller wrote for and performed with many recording artists and is best known for his 1977 album ''Full House'', the singles "Be Good To Yourself", " D ...

Cara Dillon Cara Elizabeth Dillon (born 21 July 1975, in Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish folk singer. In 1995, she joined the folk supergroup Equation and signed a record deal with Warners Music Group. After leaving ...

, and Mary Black, who covered "Turning Away" (1991) for the soundtrack of the 2001 film '' Angel Eyes''. MacLean was the subject of the 1993 BBC documentary film ''The Land: The Songs of Dougie MacLean''. He has organised and performed in the

Perthshire Amber Perthshire Amber is a music festival that took place annually in central Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border ...

festival, Birnam &

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to ...

, alongside multiple performances at Celtic Connections, Glasgow. MacLean founded the Dunkeld Records label and recording studio with his wife Jennifer in 1983.

Other pursuits

MacLean owned the

Taybank Hotel The Taybank Hotel is a hotel and restaurant in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is a Category C listed building dating to the early 19th century.

around 2015.

Awards

In 2011, MacLean was invested as an

Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE). In 2013, MacLean was awarded the

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content ...

Folk Award for Lifetime Achievement for Contribution to Songwriting. The award was presented by First Minister

Alex Salmond Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader o ...

at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

Discography

Studio

*''Are Ye Sleeping Maggie'' (1976) (with

) *''

'' (1978) (as Alan Roberts & Dougie MacLean) * ''CRM'' (1979) (as Alex Campbell, Alan Roberts & Dougie MacLean) *''Snaigow'' (1980) *''On A Wing and a Prayer'' (1981) *''Craigie Dhu'' (1983) *''Butterstone'' (1983) *''Fiddle'' (

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instr ...

) (1984) *''Singing Land'' (1985) *''Real Estate'' (1988) *''Whitewash'' (1990) *''The Search'' (instrumental) (1990) *''Indigenous'' (1991) *''Sunset Song'' (instrumental) (1993) *''Marching Mystery'' (1994) *''The Plant Life Years'' (1995) *''Tribute'' (to

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who ha ...

Niel Gow Niel Gow (1727 – 1 March 1807) was the most famous Scottish fiddler of the eighteenth century. Early life Gow was born in Strathbraan, Perthshire, in 1727, as the son of John Gow and Catherine McEwan. The family moved to Inver in Perthsh ...

and Robert Tannahill) (1995) *''Riof'' (1997) *''Perthshire Amber'' (2000) *''Who Am I'' (2001) *''Early'' (2003) *''With Strings'' (2003) *''Inside The Thunder'' (2005) *''Muir of Gormack'' (EP) (2007) *''Resolution'' (2010) *''Till Tomorrow'' (2014) (with Royal Scottish National Orchestra) *''Caledonia Cantata'' (2015) *''New Tomorrow'' (2017) *''A Robert Burns Selection'' (2018) *''Flo'' (2022)

Live

*''Live From The Ends Of The Earth'' (2000)

Video

*''The Land'' (1996) *''Live At Perthshire Amber'' (2006) *''Songmaker'' (2010)

Compilations

*''The Dougie Maclean Collection'' (1995) *''The Plant Life Years'' (1995) *''The Essential Dougie MacLean'' (2007) *''Essential Too'' (2013)

Collaborations

*''On The Blooming Queensland Side'' (1995) (with Robbie Brock)

References

External links

Dougie MacLean's Official SitePerthshire Amber Festival
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maclean, Dougie 1954 births Living people Scottish singer-songwriters Scottish folk singers Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Perth and Kinross People from Dunblane Silly Wizard members The Tannahill Weavers members