author
Alexander Mackie
1855–1915
A Scottish teacher and writer, he is remembered both for championing girls’ education in Aberdeen and for writing warmly about the landscape and history of his home region. His work blends a love of place with a teacher’s gift for making ideas clear and engaging.
1 Audiobook
Aberdeenshire
by Alexander Mackie
About the author
Born in 1855, Alexander Mackie became a well-known educational figure in Aberdeen and later led Albyn Place School for Girls, a school so closely associated with him that it was widely known as "Mackie's." He is remembered as an important supporter of higher education for women, as well as an examiner in English at the University of Aberdeen.
Alongside his school work, he wrote on literature, history, and local life. One of his best-known books is Aberdeenshire (1911), a lively account of the county’s landscape, industries, and past, written with the clarity of a teacher and the affection of a local patriot. His writing also appeared in newspapers and periodicals, and after his death a memorial volume, Prose and Verse, gathered examples of his work.
He died in 1915. Today, he stands out as a writer whose books carry a strong sense of place and as an educator who helped widen opportunities for girls at a time of major social change.