Alasdair Hutton

Alasdair Henry Hutton OBE TD (born 19 May 1940) is a British writer and narrator for public events and concerts, including the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Early life Born in London in 1940, Hutton's house was hit by a bomb three months later, and the family moved to Scotland. Identifying as a Scot, Hutton was educated at Dollar Academy.

Following the death of his father, he moved to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia at fourteen years-of-age, with his mother and two siblings. He continued briefly at Brisbane State High School, which named him among its most distinguished alumni in 2019 and was inducted as a State High "Legend" in 2021. commencing as a second lieutenant in June 1965.

He also served with Central Volunteer Headquarters (CVHQ) attached to 1st (United Kingdom) Division for the next ten years and as Honorary Colonel of the Lothian and Borders Battalion of the Army Cadet Force, from 2006 to 2009.

Political career

He served for ten years as a Scottish Conservative Party Member of the European Parliament for the South of Scotland European Parliament constituency between 1979 and 1989, and later served as a local councillor on Scottish Borders Council representing Kelso from 2002 to 2012. He was convener for nine years from 2003 to 2012.

Later career

Hutton became the storyteller and writer of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1992, Since then he has gone on to become an experienced presenter of tattoos and big shows in the English-speaking world. They are now divorced. He resides in Kelso.

He is a founder member of the Robert Burns World Federation Guild of Speakers. He is or has also been patron and convener, Borders Talking Newspaper; Trustee, LiveBorders; Life member and former chairman, Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club; Former chairman and vice-president, John Buchan Society; Chairman, South East Scotland Committee, Saint John Scotland; President, Edinburgh, Lothians and Border Area, Royal British Legion Scotland; 'for political service'. Awarded the Territorial Decoration in 1977, Hutton was invested as a Serving Brother of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in 2014 and raised to Officer in 2020.

Publications

15 Para: 1947–1993 (1997), 40 pages. About the Territorial Army (UK) Parachute Battalion The Tattoo fox (2013), child fiction, 128 pages. About the adventures of a Border fox who goes to live on Edinburgh Castle Rock and loves the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo The Tattoo fox makes new friends (2014), child fiction, 128 pages, The greatest show on Earth: Behind the microphone at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (2017), 224 pages. An account of the Edinburgh Tattoo and the others Hutton had narrated around the world Luath treasury of Scottish nursery rhymes (2017), hard cover, 224 pages. Editor. Illustrated by Bob Dewar Mustard and Pepper (2019), child fiction, , illustrated by William Gorman. About two Dandie Dinmont terriers at Abbotsford during the time of Sir Walter Scott Scotland's greatest storyteller: The life of Sir Walter Scott (2021), 116 pages, , illustrated by Shalla Gray. For young readers about Scott's novels and narrative poems The Castle cat, child fiction, , illustrated by William Gorman. About the early days of the cat who lives in Edinburgh Castle and who first appeared in The Tattoo fox "The Good Witch of Abbotsford", child fiction. Illustrated by Bob Dewar. About how a good young witch at Sir Walter Scott's house of Abbotsford foils a plot by an evil witch and her nasty friends to make unsuspecting children their servants.