Black Isle former police officer is new top mason
A RETIRED senior police officer from the Black Isle has been installed as the leader of Scotland’s 30,000 freemasons.
Ramsay McGhee, from Fortrose, became the new Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason in a ceremony in Edinburgh yesterday.
Some 850 freemasons from around the world gathered at Freemasons’ Hall in the capital’s George Street for the event.
“I would like to congratulate my good friend and predecessor, Charles Iain Robert Wolrige Gordon of Esslemont, for his strenuous and unstinting efforts over the past decade on behalf of Scottish freemasonry,” said Mr McGhee. “His will be an extremely difficult act to follow.”
Mr McGhee was born in Uddingston and became a freemason in 1969, joining Lodge St Barchan, in Renfrewshire East.
He moved to the Highlands in 1973 when he joined the former Ross and Sutherland Constabulary. Latterly based in Inverness, he became Divisional Commander and finally Head of Operations in Northern Constabulary.
He affiliated to Lodge Seaforth in Fortrose and was elected Provincial Grand Master of Ross and Cromarty in 2006. He became Depute Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 2014.
Elsewhere he serves as vice chairman of the Black Isle branch of the British Legion, is involved with the Seagull Trust, and is the regular organist at St Andrew’s Church, Fortrose. He is also chairman of the trustees of Cromarty Youth Opera.
He is also Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Ross, Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsh and the secretary of Strathpeffer Burns Club.
