Maurice McMillan Duncan:

August 29, 1954 – August 11, 2017

BORN to the late Flora and Archie Duncan at Craigard Maternity Hospital, Campbeltown, Maurice became an accomplished fiddler renowned throughout Argyll and beyond.

Maurice was educated at Dalintober Primary School and the old Campbeltown Grammar.

He became a piper in the Ceannloch Campbeltown Pipe Band for several years, but then through the influences of the late Tom McGillivray, a teacher at Campbeltown Grammar, he discovered the fiddle.

When he was 16 years old he was encouraged to enter the junior fiddle competition at the National Mòd held that year in Oban, in which he won first prize.

During the Mòd he was spotted by fiddle-maker Donald Riddell from Kirkhill farm near Drumnadrochit, Inverness. Mr Riddell invited him to Kirkhill to learn the technique of snap bowing used in Strathspey playing.

Maurice became extremely proficient and highly talented in Scottish fiddle music.

On leaving school he trained in the accountancy firm of Easton Simmers in Campbeltown and his time was divided between Campbeltown and Glasgow where he attended college for his accountancy studies.

In Campbeltown, he met his soon-to-be wife Jeanmarie. They married and soon after they moved to Oban for a new life together.

His move to Oban provided a greater scope and more opportunities to pursue his fiddle music.

Although still working in accountancy at Dunstaffnage Marina until his sudden death, it is for his musical talents that he will be best remembered; we’ll no see his likes again.

He leaves his wife, Jeanmarie, three sons, Scott, Andrew and Ruaraidh and two young granddaughters, Heather and Aria.