One o'clock gunner dies

Tam mans the The 105 millimetre light gun at Edinburgh Castle.

It is with great regret that we hear of the death of Staff Sergeant Thomas McKay MBE, or as he was known to hundreds of thousands of Scots and tourists, Tam the Gun, of cancer at the age of 60.

Tam had been Edinburgh's District Gunner, firing the capital's infamous One O'Clock Gun, since July 1979, until he became ill earlier this year.
As well as his firing duties, Tam was an active member of the Territorial Army for most of his life, latterly working as an Army chef at 243 Provost Company (Volunteers) of the Royal Military Police in Livingston until he retired five years ago.

Tam was one of the most famous faces in Edinburgh and was loved by visitors to the castle for his approachable character and his anecdotes of working there. These anecdotes eventually became a book which Tam wrote in aid of the Army Benevolent Fund, called 'What time does the One O'Clock Gun fire?' which saw its way to all corners of the world as a souvenir. A staunch supporter of the Army Benevolent Fund, Tam did many talks to various organisations around the country about his work as District Gunner in aid of this charity.

Tam also had the honour of having several things named after him; 'Tam's Dram', a whisky which is sold in the castle, and GNER are due to name a train after him next month. He was also responsible for the creation of the One O'Clock Gun Exhibition in Edinburgh Castle, for which he received Lottery funding to set up.

Tam's greatest honour came when he was awarded the MBE by her Majesty The Queen in 1999, for his services to the Territorial Army.

Not content with his day job, Tam also worked at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo each August, including, despite his illness, this year's show. It was while doing his job looking after the overseas contingents at the Tattoo that he became friendly with the Norwegian Army's Kings Guard, who have appeared at the show on numerous occasions and who have maintained strong links with Tam and Edinburgh Castle. Tam and his wife Joyce were married last year in the city of Bergen in Norway, at the invitation of his Norwegian friends whom met through this alliance.
Tam also could be seen each New Year firing the Gun on the BBC's Hogmanay Show, and he brought the millennium in with a bang for millions of viewers. No stranger to the media, he was frequently the subject of news reports and documentaries on television all over the world.

Major Andy Jackson, the Deputy Chief of Staff at the castle's 52 Infantry Brigade said, "Tam will be sadly missed by all members of the military community and the staff of Historic Scotland in Edinburgh Castle. He was a true character and he and his gun will remain a cherished of many tourist's trips to Edinburgh. Our thoughts are with Joyce and his son and two daughters."

An audio tribute from Garrison Radio  |