There was never any shortage of fun or family adventures when Derek McNeil was heading towards the high places with his loved ones.
His daughter, Katy, recalls myriad occasions when the clan packed into their car and drove to a campsite at places such as Glenmore, near Aviemore. And the weather didn’t matter; come rain or shine, snow or squall, these merry meetings thrilled them all.
Mr McNeil, who has died at the age of 81, while on a climbing trip to Ben Rinnes in the Grampian Mountains, packed a lot of different activities into his life.
He was an engineer, somebody fascinated by the minutiate of machinery and learning how things worked, who plied his trade at Rolls Royce in East Kilbride,where he was involved in the technology of aerospace, and then moved to shipbuilding on the Clyde.
But, after he married his sweetheart, Margaret Binnie in 1967, and the couple and their children, Colin and Katy, moved to Moray a decade later, he eventually joined her in teaching and became a much-loved figure at Elgin High School and Forres Academy.
Born in Haddington, Mr McNeil was a peripatetic character, blessed with a natural vigour and love for sport and nature, and whether taking part in fell running in Lancashire, travelling on his motorbike in central Scotland or – a particular passion – embarking on ascents of another Munro in the Highlands, he was in his element.
Mum was a teacher, so he joined her
Katy said: “Dad spent about 15-16 years as an engineer and did a few jobs in Forres, but this was before the oil industry really took off in the north east.
“Mum was a teacher and he decided that if he became one as well, we would all be able to spend more time together and it was one of the best decisions he made.”
The family excursions became the stuff of legend, with mountain marathons involving most of the group, and when Mr and Mrs McNeil celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2017, they travelled to Bruny Island in Tasmania with their son Colin, and their grandchildren, Finn, Lewis and Robbie.
Yet, while he was an aficionado of the great outdoors, he was also a teacher of technical studies, woodwork, metalwork and other practical skills, who left an impression on all those in his classes with his natural enthusiasm and communication.
He was a calm presence at school
Katy said: “He loved being a teacher and always got on really well with young people. Dad was a calm presence and he could exert discipline without raising his voice.
“I think that because he was so interested in engineering and science that it came through in his classes and he was discovering new things as well as the pupils.”
The Munros – the 282 peaks dotted across Scotland – were an enduring source of wonder to Mr McNeil and he derived pleasure from climbing them all, completing the challenge at the summit of Meall Glas, five miles north east of Crianlarich, in 2016.
There’s a wonderful photograph of him, flanked by his children and two of his grandchildren together at the summit, and a sparkle and joie de vivre in their eyes which demonstrates the close bond between them all.
He stayed fit right to the end
Indeed, he never stopped climbing and cycling – his friends and colleagues in Forres grew accustomed to spotting him on his bike going to and from the shops – all the way through to his passing, while he was on Ben Rinnes near Ballindalloch.
It was a place he adored; one he had scaled in the winter of 2022 at nearly 80 years old.
As Katy added: “Dad was in good health up until the end, he loved the mountains, and was still climbing on a regular basis, so he was doing something he loved.
“He had just so many interests: walking, fell running, cycling, orienteering and, of course, being with his family. It’s wonderful that we spent so much time together.”
The funeral was held in Forres and Mr McNeil requested that any donations be made to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team.
Nobody knew better than him the help which they offered those seeking a natural high.
