Biographies

Bi-media Special Correspondent, BBC Scotland

Ken Macdonald has been BBC Scotland's Bi-media Special Correspondent since 2001.

His reports appear on Newsnight Scotland and other programmes across BBC Scotland's TV and radio output.

He started in journalism as a cub reporter on local newspapers in Fife and got his first radio experience as a newsman for stations in Ayr and Dundee.

Ken began his career with BBC Scotland in 1981 as one of Radio Scotland's travel reporters.

Later, he was a bulletin editor in Edinburgh, a radio reporter in Dundee, an executive producer in Aberdeen and a senior editorial policy assistant in London.

In the last quarter century he has covered many significant Scottish and global stories, among them Piper Alpha, Lockerbie, Dunblane and the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on New York.

He has also reported on major political events such as the General Election of 1997, the devolution referendum of the same year, and the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

He was awarded a BBC Onassis Bursary in 1988 and spent it on a study tour of radio and TV stations in the US and Canada.

In the same year he covered the Bush-Dukakis presidential election which was won by George Bush.

In 2000 he went back to cover the controversial Bush-Gore race and four years later he reported on the Bush-Kerry contest, both won by George W Bush.

In 1998, while he was BBC Scotland's Education Correspondent, Ken was invited to be the honorary president of the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers.

He took the opportunity his year in office afforded to sit the Geography Higher he had avoided while at school. He got an 'A' and can still wax lyrical about scarp slopes and pyramidal peaks to anyone prepared to listen, or indeed anyone unprepared to do so.

He was born in Paisley and educated at Langcraigs Primary School and Paisley Grammar School.

He has a law degree from Glasgow University. He suspects the Law Society of Scotland is secretly grateful he stayed away from the profession thereafter.

Kenneth is married with one daughter. His interests include music, cycling, reading (mostly non-fiction), radio and "travelling hopefully".

He has been on Scotland's longest and least successful diet since 1978.