Biography

Calum Cameron was born in Govanhill, Glasgow, in 1923. His father, Eòghann a' Chùirn, was from the Isle of Soay, Skye, and his mother, Effie Beaton (Pheimeag Chaluim 'ain Bhàin) came from Bernisdale.

Calum's mother died when he was three years old. He remembers the day of the funeral and, even at the age of three, his displeasure at not getting to the burial with the men and instead being left at home with the women. After his mother's death, Mary Anne, his mother's sister, and her husband, Norman MacLeod, took care of him in Borve. Calum spent two years with them as his father was at sea working on William Sloan's boats out of Glasgow. When he was about five years old, Calum moved back to Glasgow so that he could spend time with his father when he came back onshore. He lived in Garnethill with Katie and Joan, his father's two sisters. He went to Garnetbank Primary School and then Woodside Secondary School.

Calum left school when he was fourteen and went to work for the Post Office. For two years he was a messenger delivering telegrams around the city but also attended night school for City and Guilds exams. At sixteen, he started working as a telegraphist. This was during the war and although it was a safe job, in 1942 he volunteered for the Air Force. While training in Scarborough, Donald Thompson, who later taught at Oban High School, was among those teaching him. After training, Calum was selected as a suitable pilot and went to Calgary in Canada for further training. When he returned, peace had been declared in Europe. After leaving the Air Force in 1947 he had nearly four months of leave, and he went to Soay. Gavin Maxwell was on the island at that time hunting sharks and Calum worked for him for three months, though he never got to go on the hunt itself as he wished.

He returned to the Post Office in Glasgow where he worked before the war, and a promotion took him to Aberdeen. One night he was at a ceilidh where everyone was asked to sing a song. He only knew the chorus of Cailin mo Rùin. Despite this, his singing was well received, and he was asked to sing again at the next ceilidh in the town. He learned the entire song and got an encore this time, something he wasn't able to do. Eventually, he was invited by Ewen MacPhee, the head of Gaelic at the BBC at the time, for an audition in Glasgow. He was successful and started doing recitals and other work for the BBC. In the 1960s, encouraged by Fred MacAulay, Calum, Louis Stewart and Alasdair Gillies formed the group Innes Gaels. When Alasdair left, Archie MacTaggart took his place.

Calum took a great interest in Gaelic drama. He won the award as best actor at the first Gaelic Drama Festival in Glasgow in 1957. Along with Paul MacInnes and other actors, he toured the Highlands with the drama group Na h-Eileanaich. When he moved to Edinburgh, he joined the city's drama group. While in Aberdeen, he met and married Emily Brown from Udny, north of the town. This was in 1955, and shortly after they returned to Glasgow and settled in Broomhill. They had four boys and one girl in Glasgow, where they lived for about twelve years. Later, a promotion in Calum's job led to the family moving to Edinburgh, Birmingham, and then back to Edinburgh. By the time of the last move, the Post Office departments were being separated, and Calum moved to work for BT. After leaving BT in 1982, Calum worked for the Hospital Savings Association for about eight years.

Calum's children are spread across the world: in North America, New Zealand, Arran, Newcastle, and the French Channel Islands.

Calum passed away in 2017.