Fond farewell to auctioneer
One of Scotland’s longest-serving auctioneers is set to hand over the reins and step away from the rostrum this autumn.
Donald Morrison of United Auctions will relinquish the selling aspect of his role serving the west coast of Scotland, almost 45 years to the day since he started aged 17.
His last sale will take place on Friday September 28 on Islay.
However, crofters and farmers on the islands, and at Dalmally and Oban markets, will be pleased to know that Donald will be continuing with all his other roles and will still be their main operational contact for west coast sales.
Donald, who has not yet reached retirement age, said: ‘The milestone of 45 years seems like a good time to hang up the gavel and step out of the box to let the next generation in. The team has been working together for a while now as part of the company’s succession planning, so it will essentially be business as usual for our customers at the sales.’
He added: ‘I’m often asked how long it takes to train as an auctioneer and the answer is: a lifetime. You’re never fully-fledged; there’s something new to learn every day because, as farming changes, we also have to change and adapt.’
George Purves, managing director of United Auctions, said: ‘Donald has worked tirelessly for nearly half a century on behalf of the crofters and farmers in the west coast of Scotland.
‘As an islander himself, he inherently understands the needs of the community, how the area works and will continue to add to his impressive legacy.’
Born the son of a crofter in West Gerenish, South Uist, Donald joined the company, known then as Thomas Corson and Co, at Oban’s then-named West Highland Auction Mart on September 25, 1973, making £15 a week.
He worked alongside his idol and well-known auctioneer, Neil Jackson.
After securing the job, Donald left the island for the first time, and saw his first tree.
‘It was actually lonely and hard going for me at the start, being away from Uist. In fact, I almost gave it up when my father suddenly dropped dead just a few months after I started and I returned to the island for his funeral.
‘I was then thrown in at the deep end selling cattle on my home island and now here I am 45 years later. It still makes me sad that my father never saw me sell anything, but that hard start left me determined to be a success.’
Donald added: ‘You’ve got to have motivation, dedication and determination to be an auctioneer. It’s not a nine-tofive job.’