Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Doric hero Robbie Shepherd and wife Esma marked 60th anniversary – after romance blossomed on rural bus

The broadcasting legend told us how the couple's shared "down to earth attitude" kept them together.

Robbie Shepherd and wife Esma had many happy years together.
Robbie Shepherd and wife Esma had many happy years together. Image: Roddie Reid/DC Thomson

It was a shared love of music – and a matchmaking bus conductor – that brought Robbie Shepherd and his wife Esma together.

Robbie, who would go on to become a national treasure as one of Scotland’s biggest traditional music aficionados, was working as an accountant on Union Terrace in Aberdeen in the 1950s.

Every day, the budding musician would get the bus into the city from his home at Dunecht.

And it was on those journeys that he got chatting to a young lady named Esma Dickson.

Esma lived five miles away in Cluny, and would travel to Aberdeen to work as a shorthand typist at Rubislaw.

When Robbie learned that Esma was a talented pianist, he realised how much the two had in common.

From those chats on the winding country roads into town, romance blossomed.

And the pair marked their diamond wedding anniversary after 60 years together in 2021.

How bus conductor played Cupid

Robbie, 85 at the time, said: “Esma played in a dance band and I was just starting out in entertainment, and we would speak about that as we went to work in Aberdeen.”

The conductor on the buses which traversed the Strathdon to Aberdeen route in those days was a man named Gibbie McIntosh.

And Gibby did all he could to bring his two regular passengers together.

Robbie added: “He would collect Esma first at Cluny and then come to Dunecht for myself.

“Gibby would always claim he was the one who brought us together, by keeping a seat for me next to Esma!”

The happy couple on their wedding day.

The pair were married at Cluny Churchyard on September 23, 1961.

Robbie was 25 on the special day, and Esma 21.

Afterwards, they set off to the Kintore Arms in Inverurie for their reception.

The most important part of the bash was making the music was just right, and they booked Curley McKay’s Scottish dance band for the ceilidh.

“We knew him well, and knew he had a fine band,” said Robbie.

Thank you for the music

Scottish music would become the soundtrack to the Shepherds’ lives over their decades together.

Robbie said: “It’s been our life, Esma is as passionate about it as me.”

During their younger years they would regularly have some of the top musicians in the land round to their Aberdeen home for celebratory ceilidhs.

Most of the leaders of dance bands who toured the region would attend, though Robbie now wonders “what the neighbours must have made of it”.

The P&J columnist added: “Some would be sitting on the stairs while others would be through in the living room.

“Scottish dance music has always been a part of our home, and we have made so many friends through it.

“We have been very lucky.”

Esma and Robbie with son Gordon when he graduated as a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computing, from Robert Gordon University in 1998.

How Robbie Shepherd became a household name across north-east

Robbie’s career began as a musician, his instrument being the mouth organ or “moothie”.

He later moved into compering and producing variety shows at theatres across the region before moving into broadcasting.

Robbie hosted the popular Take the Floor on BBC Radio Scotland for more than 30 years.

The Doric doyen also presented The Reel Blend for the radio station, hosted Beechgrove Garden road shows and presented sheepdog trials.

The couple at a ball at His Majesty’s Theatre in 2007. Picture by Gordon Lennox

He was made an MBE in the 2001 New Year Honours roll for services to Scottish dance music and culture, and has written books on Scottish country music and Scots dancing.

Robbie now has two pieces of traditional music penned in his honour, the sheets for which sit proudly at the family piano beneath cherished family photographs.

Watch as Robbie and Esma perform the Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen at their piano – 

‘Sparkle and wit’

Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Barney Crockett, visited the Shepherds for a blether while handing over a silver picture frame to celebrate the occasion.

He said: “It was a great honour to go round and speak to Robbie, who is a loved institution in this part of the world.

“He still has that great sparkle and wit, and we had a great time.

“It’s important we remember what a big role Robbie has played in preserving our local culture.”

Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett paid Esma and Robbie Shepherd a visit.

Do you have fond memories of Robbie you’d like to share? Let us know in our comments section below


Robbie Shepherd on secret to an affa long marriage

As well as son Gordon, the couple are grandparents to seven-year-old Dougie and two-year-old Rose.

By celebrating their diamond anniversary they are in some exclusive company.

Asked the secret to their long marriage, the Shepherds seem to agree that it’s a “spirit of give and take”.

But Robbie added: “Esma would say she was giving while I was taking!

“Being involved in the dance music scene, and doing four radio programmes a week at times, meant she certainly had the heavy end of it when Gordon was little.

“We both come from lovely families, and now our family is living up to that same down-to-earth attitude we have always had.”

Robbie Shepherd died on August 1, 2023, aged 87. 

Conversation