Obituary: Dr Martin Lowe OBE - Passionate piper and secretary of Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities

DR Martin Lowe, a popular and energetic figure in higher education and the piping scene, died earlier this month after a short illness. Dr Lowe’s distinguished professional career culminated in service as the secretary of the universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews. Following his retirement, he indulged his great love of piping through enthusiastic playing and organisation. At the time of his death he was secretary of the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society and chairman of the Lowland and Border Pipers’ Society.

Martin’s father was from Arbroath and his mother from Essex. His father worked in London and Martin and his three younger sisters spent their early years in Surrey. He warmly recalled the smell of Arbroath Smokies arriving in brown paper parcels in the post.

Martin was 13 when his father became secretary of the UK Carnegie Trust and the family moved to Dunfermline. During his years at Dunfermline High School, many of his life’s passions took shape: he learnt the pipes with the Comrie Colliery pipe band; played rugby for the school; supported Dunfermline Athletic; and stole away to the Ochils to climb and camp. In 1958, Martin moved to St Andrews and began a long and affectionate relationship with the university.

He completed a BSc in geology, followed by a PhD in 1965. His thesis examined the trias of the western Highlands and Hebrides and he spent many happy days with the rocks and people of Raasay. He was also heavily involved in student affairs and served as the first president of the mixed Students’ Union.

Martin’s piping and social life took off as a member of the OTC pipe band under the tutelage of Bert Barron. He was also often in the hills, on “schemes” with his chums, and working as a beater in the Angus glens. His greatest achievement in these student days was his successful courting of a younger undergraduate, Janet MacNaughtan. They married in 1966 and made a wonderful team.

On leaving university, Martin joined the British Council and was posted to Dar es Salaam and Madras. He especially enjoyed his time in Tanzania, playing his pipes on the summit of Kilimanjaro and running the line at a rugby match while listening to his uncle’s commentary of the Pars winning the Scottish Cup.

In 1969 he moved to Glasgow to take up an administrative post at the University of Strathclyde, rising to become secretary to Senate. His progress as a bright young administrator was matched by his fondness for Strathclyde; he always retained his membership of Ross Priory, a place he loved. In 1981 he was delighted to return to St Andrews University as secretary and registrar and to bring up his family in the town. In 1990 Martin was appointed secretary to the University of Edinburgh. He relished the scale and international aspect of the job at Edinburgh and he was deeply proud of the university and his colleagues. Throughout his career, Martin continued to travel widely, working with higher education institutions in many countries, notably Indonesia, Nigeria and Sweden. Colleagues have described how his skilled leadership, diplomacy and cheerful personality earned him the admiration and respect of the professional community. He retired in 2002 and received an OBE for services to higher education later that year.

Martin would go on to make as great a success of his retirement as of his professional life. With unflagging energy and enthusiasm, he immersed himself in piping, both playing and organising. He revelled in the music and friendship of the Royal Scottish Pipers’ Society and was proud to be involved as a board member in the National Piping Centre, where he helped establish a degree in piping.

He was an active member of the Glasgow Highland Club and was its champion piper this year. He was also a trustee of the East Lothian Pipes and Drums Trust and a member of the Army Piping Committee. A fellow piper commented: “There are good piping committees and bad ones. If you were to assemble the dream one, Martin would be its secretary.”

Martin was deeply grounded in the Highland piping tradition and he adored playing and listening to piobaireachd. He also had a wonderfully infectious appreciation for other piping traditions and forms of traditional music, such as Northumbrian piping and the Swedish nyckelharpa.

He was working on publishing a collection of Swedish music for bellows pipes. He took up Scottish smallpipes and Border pipes and loved learning the Lowland repertoire. One of his last contributions to piping was running the bellows pipes concert at Piping Live! in Glasgow in August.

His connection to St Andrews University continued in retirement through service on the General Council Business Committee and as Piper to the University Chancellor. He was also chairman of the Victoria League in Scotland. In his retirement he went on many trips around Europe, playing for the student New Scotland Country Dance Society.

Throughout his life, Martin adored climbing, especially in the Highlands and Islands. His intimate understanding of the landscape, enormous energy and mischievous humour made him a marvellous companion in the hills. In 1990 he celebrated completing the Munros by leading his family and friends to yet one more summit.

Martin is survived by his wife Janet, children Andrew, Shona, Robert and Donald, and eight grandchildren. ROBERT LOWE