Magnus Linklater
Encyclopedia
Magnus Linklater is a Scottish
journalist and former newspaper editor.
. He was brought up in Easter Ross
, attending the local school at Nigg
before moving to high school
in Dunbar
, East Lothian
, and then on to Eton College
. He continued his studies with courses at Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg in Germany
and the Sorbonne
in Paris
, before he studied a degree at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
. He is of part Swedish descent, through his father Eric
.
. This was followed by a position at the Evening Standard
, before he moved to The Sunday Times
in 1969, where he remained until 1983. This was followed by three years at The Observer
, before he was recruited to launch and edit the London Daily News
, a short-lived newspaper owned by Robert Maxwell
. Linklater returned to Scotland at the start of 1988 to become editor of The Scotsman
, running the newspaper until 1994, when he left to become a freelance writer.
Following this, Linklater has regularly contributed to The Times
, and, since 1998, has written a weekly column for The Scotsman's sister paper, Scotland on Sunday
. Between 1994 and 1997 he presented the weekly discussion programme, Eye to Eye on BBC Radio Scotland
, and has written a number of books, about Scottish history and politics.
He was appointed as chairman of the Scottish Arts Council
in 1996, holding the post for five years, and is currently chairman of the Little Sparta Trust, which maintains Little Sparta
, the garden of the late Ian Hamilton Finlay
, in the Pentland Hills
.
Linklater was a candidate for the position of Rector of Aberdeen University in 1999 and Lord Rector of Edinburgh University in the 2006 election, but finished second, behind Green
politician Mark Ballard
.
Linklater lives in the New Town
of Edinburgh
, with his wife Veronica
, a Liberal Democrat
Life peer
. Their house was badly damaged by a fire on New Year's Day 2006, destroying much of his art collection, including valuable paintings by Samuel Peploe
and William George Gillies
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
journalist and former newspaper editor.
Life
Linklater was born in Orkney, and is the son of Scottish writer Eric LinklaterEric Linklater
Eric Robert Russell Linklater was a British writer, known for more than 20 novels, as well as short stories, travel writing and autobiography, and military history.-Life:...
. He was brought up in Easter Ross
Easter Ross
Easter Ross is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scottish Parliament constituency...
, attending the local school at Nigg
Nigg
-Places:Antarctica* Nigg RockScotland* Nigg, Aberdeen* Nigg, Highland, a village in Easter Ross, Highland; on Nigg Bay, in the Cromarty Firth-See also:* Nigg Stone, a Pictish carved stone in Easter Ross* Nigga, a hip-hop term.* Nigger, a racial slur....
before moving to high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
, East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, and then on to Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. He continued his studies with courses at Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, before he studied a degree at Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
. He is of part Swedish descent, through his father Eric
.
Journalist
Linklater's journalistic career began in 1964, as a reporter with the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. This was followed by a position at the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, before he moved to The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
in 1969, where he remained until 1983. This was followed by three years at The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, before he was recruited to launch and edit the London Daily News
London Daily News
The London Daily News was a short-lived London newspaper owned by Robert Maxwell.-1987:The London Daily News was published from 24 February to 24 July 1987. It was intended to be a "24-hour" paper challenging the local dominance of the Evening Standard."For the city that never sleeps, the paper...
, a short-lived newspaper owned by Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell
Ian Robert Maxwell MC was a Czechoslovakian-born British media proprietor and former Member of Parliament , who rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire...
. Linklater returned to Scotland at the start of 1988 to become editor of The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, running the newspaper until 1994, when he left to become a freelance writer.
Following this, Linklater has regularly contributed to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, and, since 1998, has written a weekly column for The Scotsman's sister paper, Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday
Scotland on Sunday is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by The Scotsman Publications Ltd and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate The Scotsman...
. Between 1994 and 1997 he presented the weekly discussion programme, Eye to Eye on BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
, and has written a number of books, about Scottish history and politics.
He was appointed as chairman of the Scottish Arts Council
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
in 1996, holding the post for five years, and is currently chairman of the Little Sparta Trust, which maintains Little Sparta
Little Sparta
Little Sparta is a garden at Dunsyre in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh, created by artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay and his wife Sue Finlay....
, the garden of the late Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay, CBE, was a Scottish poet, writer, artist and gardener.-Biography:Finlay was born in Nassau, Bahamas of Scottish parents. He was educated in Scotland at Dollar Academy. At the age of 13, with the outbreak of World War II, he was evacuated to family in the countryside...
, in the Pentland Hills
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
.
Linklater was a candidate for the position of Rector of Aberdeen University in 1999 and Lord Rector of Edinburgh University in the 2006 election, but finished second, behind Green
Scottish Green Party
The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:...
politician Mark Ballard
Mark Ballard
Mark Ballard is a former Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothians region between 2003 and 2007, representing the Scottish Green Party and was Lord Rector of the University of Edinburgh between 2006 and 2009...
.
Linklater lives in the New Town
New Town, Edinburgh
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is often considered to be a masterpiece of city planning, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, with his wife Veronica
Veronica Linklater
Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater of Butterstone , is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords. Her career indicates her interests in children’s welfare, education and special needs, and prison reform...
, a Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
Life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
. Their house was badly damaged by a fire on New Year's Day 2006, destroying much of his art collection, including valuable paintings by Samuel Peploe
Samuel Peploe
Samuel John Peploe was a Scottish Post-Impressionist painter, noted for his still life works and for being one of the group of four painters that became known as the Scottish Colourists...
and William George Gillies
William George Gillies
Sir William George Gillies was a renowned Scottish landscape and still life painter.Gillies was born in Haddington, East Lothian; he studied at Edinburgh College of Art and taught there after graduation for over 40 years. He was principal of the College from 1959 until his retirement in 1966...
.