Obituary - Alexander Morrison, former HM Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland

Died: July 8, 2018

ALEXANDER Morrison, who has died aged 90, was a Gaelic-speaking islander from the Western Isles who rose through the ranks to become Scotland’s top police officer. After a period in London in charge of the Brixton division, in the 1970s he became Scotland’s youngest chief constable after moving north to take charge of the former Aberdeen City Police before being appointed HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland in the 1980s.

Sanny – as he was known in the islands – was born on August 28, 1927 at 22 North Dell, in a traditional crofting village in the Ness district of the island, to John and Annie Morrison, the fourth child in a family of eight.

His father – who served in the Canadian Navy during the Great War – died in 1941 when Alexander was just 14 and with his three older siblings already serving in the Second World War, the young Alexander left school to help his uncle Finlay, who lost an eye when wounded at Festubert in May 1915, work the family croft – their main source of survival – and care for the younger children.

Nandag, his sister, had been despatched to India as a codebreaker to decipher Japanese military messages while bothers Murdo and Norrie fought in Holland and France.

As normality resumed at the end of the conflict, Morrison returned to his studies and in 1948 borrowed some cash to travel to the other end of the UK and join the Metropolitan Police. Within 16 years he had reached the rank of superintendent.

London, with its masses of strangers and different social customs, was a dramatically different place to the close-knit community back in Lewis. However, while on duty at the state funeral of the former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in January 1965, the solemnity of the hordes of people standing stock still in communal mourning reminded him of village traditions. “Suddenly I felt so proud, thinking 'back home we bury everyone like Churchill',” he said.

When the Nicolson Institute high school in Lewis arranged its first away trip in 1964, Morrison was there to welcome the pupils to London.

Back then, such a long distance excursion was a heavy expense for the majority of islanders but Morrison paid the costs for his sister, Màiri, so she would not be excluded.

Doubling up as their guide, he arranged a tour bus around the city sights.

One highlight was a visit to the Houses of Parliament where the Western Isles MP Malcom K Macmillan showed the youngsters around.

As Morrison’s career progressed, he became the deputy divisional commander of Brixton Division, in charge of 800 men and later moved to the post of assistant chief constable in Staffordshire County and Stoke-on-Trent.

In 1970, he moved north to take charge of the former Aberdeen City Police. Following the amalgamation of regional constabularies five years later, he was selected as the first chief of Grampian Police, covering the north east of Scotland.

There he remained until December 1983 when he took up the post of HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, retiring in 1988.

In this period, he was one of Britain's four representatives on the world-wide police organisation, Interpol. Morrison is the most senior police officer to come from the Isle of Lewis.

Despite his high profile career, he was first and foremost a family man, very much defined by the island of his birth.

He was also a humble and generous person who loved spending time with his brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces.

He married Mary Mackay from the nearby village of Lionel and they had two sons, Iain and Donald, and three grandchildren Isabella, Alexander and Grace.

He also leaves two sisters, Màiri Bheag and Màiri Mhòr.

Always yearning to return, the couple resettled permanently in Lewis in 2005.

In his younger days, he played football for the local Ness FC and gained his rugby colours playing for the Metropolitan Police.

But his main interest was in promoting the gospel both as an elder in the church and through his life.

During his illustrious career, he was awarded the CVO (Commander of the Royal Victorian Order), an award granted by the Queen for personal services to the Royal Family and the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.

He never spoke about the honours he received, keeping them out of sight at home, nor did he mention having lunch with the Queen when she visited Balmoral when it was within his jurisdiction.

Alexander Morrison died at Dun Eisdean care home, Stornoway, where he had been a resident for three years. His funeral took place from the Free Church Continuing in Ness, Lewis, with burial at Habost cemetery.