THE DEATH of Iain Alexander Currie Macarthur, whom many of you knew fondly as ‘The Doc’, has shocked and saddened the people of Oban, Argyll and beyond. Iain was a native of Oban who lived and worked for the majority of his 79 years here and was what many of us referred to as ‘old Oban’. Born in Oban in 1938 the only son of the late Dr George and Dorothy Macarthur, he was a scholar of Rockfield Primary and Oban High School. Iain went on to further his education at St Andrews University where he was a student of Medicine and then Aberdeen University where he was a student of Pharmacy. For a short time he worked in Boots Pharmacy in Dundee before returning to Oban to work as a chemist at the Alginate Factory. Although Iain chose not to pursue a career in this field, his interest in medicine and pharmacy remained with him throughout his life.
In his early student days, when he was home on leave from University he worked for MacDougall’s Garage. They owned the local hearse, which he drove from time to time and this was possibly the start of his driving career. He continued to develop his skills gaining his HGV Class 1 and put these skills to use during the development of Cruachan Power Station. He then went on to gain his PSV and then after many rigorous exams gained the accreditation of becoming a member of both the Chartered Institute of Transport and the Institute of Logistics of Transport. Iain was also a Member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists for more than 60 years.
It was in 1973 that Iain’s bus driving career ‘took off.’ Although many of you will remember Iain as a school bus driver he drove the bus on many routes and occasions. The ‘Land of Lorn Bus Tours’ which operated for a few years during the eighties was a particular favourite. Of a kindly and unassuming nature he treated everyone the same. However, it was his unseen acts of kindness which made him unique; giving generously of his time to help the less able on and off the bus and of course his many ‘unofficial bus stops’. Shortly before he retired in 2013 he was presented with his 40 years long service award for his services to bus driving. He took great pride in his work gaining the respect of passengers and colleagues alike and often went ‘that extra mile.’