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First name John
Second name MacDonald
Nickname The Singing Molecatcher
YOB 1905
YOD 1987

Native Area

County - Moray

Parish - St Andrews-Llanbryd

Village/Place - Pitgaveny

Person ID 920

Biography

John MacDonald of Pitgaveny, Elgin, was a ballad singer, whistler, diddler, and melodeon player. Growing up on his father's farm, he began his career as a mole catcher at the age of thirteen, and throughout his life was known as the 'Singing Molecatcher of Morayshire'.

There are around 100 recordings of John on the Tobar an Dualchais website, which were recorded between 1953 and 1974. The vast majority of these recordings are of his music, a number of these being bothy ballads.