Biography

Catriona Garbutt (née Campbell) (Catrìona Chaluim Iain Chaluim Bhig / nighean Mòrag Aonghais) was born in Benbecula in 1935. Both her parents were from Benbecula, although her mother's people were from Knockintorran in North Uist and her father's family came from South Uist. Her father was a stonemason, and there were four children in the family. Music was strong in Catriona's family on both sides. Her mother's family were singers and her father's family were pipers. All four of the children were pipers – Catriona, Katy Mary, Calum, and Angus – and took part in competitions in South Uist.

Catriona attended Knocknamonie Primary School, where the bard, actor and singer Norman Maclean [346] attended for a time. She went to Fort William High School for six years after that. She sang at the Mods during that time and kept up her piping with Sandy Smith of Inverlochy, who had connections to South Uist. Catriona graduated from the University of Glasgow and afterwards spent a year training at Dowanhill College to become a teacher. After earning her teaching certificate, she worked for three years at Brevig School in Barra.

When she went to Barra she began to take a real interest in learning songs, as the island was full of capable and knowledgeable singers, such as Calum Johnston [724] and Màiri Eòghainn [2415]. She lived with Elizabeth MacNeil, a descendent of Clann Eòin Eachainn, who had a large repertoire of songs herself. Elizabeth took her around the island to visit others who had a knowledge of songs. Catriona was very happy in Barra and would not have left if she had not been offered a teaching job in Benbecula. She returned home in 1960.

In 1970 she married Thomas Garbutt and they settled in Uachdar. His mother was from Benbecula and he was raised there after his father was killed in the war. They had one daughter, Morag, who is a Gaelic teacher. From 1977, Catriona was at home raising Morag, but in 1981 she received an offer to become a music teacher at schools across Uist, a job her brother Calum Campbell [430] had done before, teaching the pipes to children. She worked in that role for sixteen years, visiting schools between Berneray in the north and Eriskay in the south.

Catriona considers herself very fortunate to have lived at a time that gave her the opportunity to meet very fine singers, such as Kate MacDonald (Bean Eairdsidh Raghnaill) [12], Penny Morrison [4013], Kate [3736] and Anna MacDonald [3963], and Kate Nicolson [2277], who taught her Bu Chaomh Leam Bhith Mireadh. In her own area, Catriona learned a lot from Kate MacMillan [2237], Fanny MacIsaac [3985] and Penny MacLellan [1191].

Catriona is the only Gaelic singer who sings two very different styles of the Arthurian song Am Bròn Binn. She learned one version from Catrìona Ghilleasba' Ghriomasaigh from Benbecula, and another version from Kate MacDonald from Peninerine and Howbeg.

Catriona was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. In September 2025 a special evening of Gaelic music and song was held in Benbecula to celebrate her 90th birthday.