Privileged in having had an excellent tutor in folklore in my maternal Grandfather, and having been involved in the "folk music scene" since the early 1960s, it seemed natural that Scottish Traditional Music, Song, & Dance should have formed a major part of my studies as a mature student at The School of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh. Awarded the 'Helen Doig Bursary for Original Research in the field of Scots Traditional Music' for 1996-97 and 1997-98 (believed to be the first non-musician to receive it) I graduated with MA with honours jointly in Scottish Ethnology and Scottish HIstorical Studies in 1998. Unable to accept an offer of go on towards a PhD because of family commitments at that time, on becoming unable to work through ill-health. I was urged by some of my old lecturers to resume my formal studies and was accepted to undertake a part-time MSc by Research at Edinburgh in the field of traditional music but unfortunately have had to take a deferment on health grounds. I now spend my time listening to music, continuing my personal research whenever able, and continue to develop my honours dissertation with the hope of its eventual publication.