Author. Although born in Hartlepool (England), Mackenzie was very proud of his Scottish ancestry. Following service in World War I, and a period directing intelligence activities in the Aegean, he settled on the island of Barra in the Western Isles in 1928. He became involved in nationalist politics, was literary critic for the Daily Mail, and a regular broadcaster. A successful novelist, he is perhaps best remembered for his humorous portrayal of the sinking of the SS Politician and the fate of its valuable cargo, in Whisky Galore (1947). His Highland Novels gave inspiration for the BBC television series Monarch of the Glen which ran to 64 episodes between 2000 and 2005. Mackenzie was responsible for a considerable number of novels, but his most important work is considered to be The Four Winds Of Love published in six volumes between 1937 and 1945.
He was knighted in 1952, produced his autobiography in an impressive ten volumes (1963-71) and died in Edinburgh. He is buried in St Barr's churchyard at Eoligarry on Barra.