Willie MacRae - Death

Death

MacRae left his Glasgow flat at 18:30 on 5 April 1985, to weekend at his cottage near Dornie. He was not seen again until the following morning around 10:00, when two Australian tourists saw his car lying on the moor a short distance from the junction of the A87 and A887 roads, about 30 yd (27 m) from the roadway, straddling a burn. The tourists flagged down the next car to pass by, which turned out to be driven by a doctor, Dorothy Messer, accompanied by her fiancé as well as David Coutts, a Dundee SNP councillor who knew MacRae.

It was discovered that MacRae was in the car. His hands were "folded on his lap", his head was "slumped on his right shoulder", and there was a "considerable amount of blood on his temple". He was not wearing a seat belt.

Another car was sent to call the emergency services. Dr Messer examined MacRae and found that he was still alive and breathing. She noted that one of his pupils was dilated, indicating the possibility of brain damage, and estimated that he had been in that state for 10 hours.

MacRae was removed by ambulance to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, accompanied by Dr Messer. After arrival it was decided to transfer him to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. At Aberdeen it was realised that the incident was more than a road accident; six hours after he had been found, a nurse washing his head discovered what appeared to be the entry wound of a gunshot. An X-ray confirmed that McRae had been shot above his right ear and a bullet was detected in his head. His brain was severely damaged and his vital functions very weak. The following day, on Sunday 7 April, after consultation with his next of kin, MacRae's life-support machine was switched off.