IN MEMORY
Jim MacKay – March 1936 – 10th Oct 2022
by Ian Simpson (compere at Dingwall A&F Club and former MFR Broadcaster)
B&F December 2022
Year 46 No 02
Jim was born in March 1938, one of four children in a Caithness crofting family. He spent his childhood in the country before going on to study agriculture in Inverness. From an early age, music became part of Jim’s life as it was already in the family.
Back in Caithness after his studying, it was while playing with the family band that Jim met Catherine. Also from a Caithness agricultural background, Catherine went on to marry Jim and they continued farming until the 1980s when they moved to Inverness, where they ran Eildon Guest House in Old Edinburgh Road.
By this tie, the busy band were known as Jim MacKay’s Dance Band. It was very much a family band with Jim’s brother Nichol and late sons Donald and Thomas being p[art of the line-up over the years. As well as being a renowned button-box player, Jim was a respected tutor and composed many beautiful tunes, particularly waltzes, over the years.
I first met Jim in 1993 when the band played for a ceilidh in aid of the MFR Charity Trust. It was a cold February night and the first event I compered at. I travelled with the band and enjoyed the craic with them on that and many more occasions. One memorable evening was at Clashmore Hall when there was a power cut. Jim carried on playing and the dancers carried on dancing! Good job they had light feet to hear the unamplified music!
Jim was one of the first Scottish dance bands to organize dancing holidays abroad and I remember going to Tenerife with Jim’s band and the late Ian Anderson’s band around 1995. The week in the sun with dancing in the evenings was a huge success and was loved by the locals – apart from the time the pipers played during the siesta!
Jim and Catherine for many years organized the Button Box Gathering showcasing the best button-box players to enthusiastic full houses while raising thousands of pounds for charities. Events such as these took a tremendous amount of planning but always turned out great owing to the hard work and dedication shown by Jim and Catherine.
Jim passed away on Monday 10th October following a short illness. He was remembered by many friends and fellow musicians at his funeral, where a number of his tunes were played. His grandson Graeme played Gift of Time, a beautiful tune written by Jim but never before heard in public. He leaves a musical legacy in his recordings, compositions and, more importantly, his family who will keep the music going through the next generations.
Back in Caithness after his studying, it was while playing with the family band that Jim met Catherine. Also from a Caithness agricultural background, Catherine went on to marry Jim and they continued farming until the 1980s when they moved to Inverness, where they ran Eildon Guest House in Old Edinburgh Road.
By this tie, the busy band were known as Jim MacKay’s Dance Band. It was very much a family band with Jim’s brother Nichol and late sons Donald and Thomas being p[art of the line-up over the years. As well as being a renowned button-box player, Jim was a respected tutor and composed many beautiful tunes, particularly waltzes, over the years.
I first met Jim in 1993 when the band played for a ceilidh in aid of the MFR Charity Trust. It was a cold February night and the first event I compered at. I travelled with the band and enjoyed the craic with them on that and many more occasions. One memorable evening was at Clashmore Hall when there was a power cut. Jim carried on playing and the dancers carried on dancing! Good job they had light feet to hear the unamplified music!
Jim was one of the first Scottish dance bands to organize dancing holidays abroad and I remember going to Tenerife with Jim’s band and the late Ian Anderson’s band around 1995. The week in the sun with dancing in the evenings was a huge success and was loved by the locals – apart from the time the pipers played during the siesta!
Jim and Catherine for many years organized the Button Box Gathering showcasing the best button-box players to enthusiastic full houses while raising thousands of pounds for charities. Events such as these took a tremendous amount of planning but always turned out great owing to the hard work and dedication shown by Jim and Catherine.
Jim passed away on Monday 10th October following a short illness. He was remembered by many friends and fellow musicians at his funeral, where a number of his tunes were played. His grandson Graeme played Gift of Time, a beautiful tune written by Jim but never before heard in public. He leaves a musical legacy in his recordings, compositions and, more importantly, his family who will keep the music going through the next generations.