A multi-millionaire and philanthropist has said he is standing in the Highland Council elections.
Angus MacDonald, who set up Highland Cinema and Highland Bookshop in Fort William, says he is setting out with one clear aim – “to fight every day for a more successful and vibrant town”.
Mr MacDonald is standing in the Fort William and Ardnamurchan ward.
Mr MacDonald, who can trace his family history in Lochaber back for more than 1,000 years, is standing as a Liberal Democrat.
His grandfather, five times removed, was Long John MacDonald who built the Ben Nevis distillery in 1825.
In the past, Liberal Democrats have a long history with the town, with the late Charles Kennedy MP holding the Ross, Skye and Lochaber seat, and before it the Ross, Cromarty and Skye seat between 1983 until March 2015. He died in June 2015.
Mr MacDonald whose business interests extend to employing around 400 people, is a former investment manager based in Ardnamurchan.
He set up the Moidart Trust in 1997, as well as providing ski scholarships for young people to attend the British Ski School in the Alps.
Asked why he wanted to create businesses in Fort William when the town was otherwise seeing decline, he said: “West Highlands has almost no successful entrepreneurs and major philanthropists, I want to change the town for the better.”
‘A gift to Fort William’
He has describing his investment in the town, including the cinema and the Highland Soap factory shop, as his “gift to the town”.
He started his own career in the army serving for three years as a lieutenant in the Queens Own Highlanders.
He left and then spent three years as an investment manager at Martin Currie in Edinburgh before setting up his first company Edinburgh Financial Publishing.
To date, his portfolio has created some £150million worth of value through the founding of five companies.
These include Edinburgh Financial Publishing, Financial News – sold to the Wall Street Journal for £79million in 2006, Edinburgh-based Specialist Waste Recycling which was sold to Biffa in March 2019 for £30million.
‘What matters most is the people of the west Highlands’
He sold ISC Learn to private equity in May 2018 for £29million. He remains the largest shareholder in Renewable Parts which supplies spare parts for wind turbines.
Mr MacDonald said: “What matters most to me is the people and economy of the west Highlands.
“Fort William is the largest town in the west and it is vitally important that it looks beautiful and flourishes.
“I’d like us to work towards becoming British Town of the Year five years from now.
“I feel the council in Inverness and government in Edinburgh have neglected our area for too long.
“My family has lived in Lochaber for a thousand years, my heart and soul is directed at making our area thrive.”
He has been married to his wife Michie for 35 years, and has four sons. He is also a published author of the Arnish series of which his fourth title is due to be published in May. In 2021 he was presented with a papal knighthood.
Who else is standing in Fort William?
So far the other candidates who have announced they are standing in the ward are Sarah Fanet SNP, Kate Willis for the Scottish Green Party and Fiona Fawcett for the Scottish Conservatives.
Nominations for council election candidates close on Wednesday March 30.