Rally car driver. Born in Lanark, the son of five-times British rally champion Jim McRae, McRae was educated at the Robert Owen Grammar School in the town. He became Scottish Junior Scrambling Champion at the age of 13 and took part in his first rally in 1986. McRae subsequently became one of the world's most successful drivers. Noted for his aggressive driving style, he took the British title for the first time in 1991, a feat repeated on several occasions. In 1995, McRae became Britain's first World Rally Champion and the youngest driver ever to win that title. He achieved a total of 25 world rally wins and was awarded an MBE in 1996. His name featured in a successful computer game, first released in 1998.
Although he became a resident of Monaco in 1995 for tax reasons, on his retiral from motor-sport in 2003 McRae returned to Scotland, making his home at Jerviswood, a 16th-century tower-house in South Lanarkshire. He died with his five year-old son in a helicopter crash near his home. Their joint funeral took place at Daldowie Crematorium, followed by a memorial service at St Nicholas Parish Church, Lanark.
