INSIGHT Magazine - Issue 1

the interview
Andy McAlindon,
electrician turned actor,
speaks to Rona Simpson
about his journey and
the inspiration behind
his Highlander Tours
company.
Image by Find Her In The Highlands
22
As I walk up towards the house a large, handsome,
beaming, hairy-faced Jacobite in full regalia including calf-length
leather coat and flintlock pistols leaps out from behind a van,
“You must be Rona!” and he shakes my hand so warmly that
the various weaponry attached to him rattles. “I’m Andy… The
Highlander!” he says. I had guessed!
“Can I show you what’s in my van?” Andy asks eagerly. Laid
out on display are swords, dirks, pistols and scabbards as well
as a large Outlander hardback book with stills from the show.
“I’m just getting set up for a Tour.” Andy McAlindon – a starring
extra in the Outlander series – also runs Highlander Tours; a
company that specialises in Outlander, Historic and Scenic
tours and holidays. But it quickly becomes clear that this is not
just a job for Andy.
Eyes shining, he proceeds to tell me in detail the names of
the weapons and explaining when and how they’d be used in
battle and their connection to the show. He explains etymology
behind words and phrases such as ‘a flash in the pan’ – he
points to the ‘pan’ an area of the flintlock which holds a charge
of gunpowder and can sometimes explode here instead of firing
the pistol properly. He points to his beard and explains that the
term ‘sideburns’ came from redcoats holding the red-hot barrel
of the pistol against the side of their faces. I’m hooked. His
passion is infectious. He urges me to hold the ‘basket-hilted’
sword, which is incredibly heavy and beautifully designed
and can, with one careful flick as Andy demonstrates, whip a
shorter sword out of the hands of your enemy. He’s like a living,
breathing history lesson.
Once inside the house I’m face-to-face with a life-sized poster
of Andy in his Jacobite costume. He’s unashamedly proud and
I don’t blame him for feeling delighted about where his life is
at. He has not always graced the sets of films or made a living
escorting people around the country whilst being wrapped in six
foot of plaid kilt brandishing swords and pistols. He used to be
an electrician. I ask Andy how, in his late thirties and with three
kids, he made this huge leap.
“My dream was always to be an actor. My dad died 10 years
ago and I was completely devastated. A friend of mine
persuaded me to join the Kilmacolm Dramatic Society. The
acting gave me an escape and a good distraction, which made
the grieving process a little more bearable. And it opened doors
for me to progress to a more professional level. I eventually got
the part of DC Lowe in the TV drama, In Plain Sight. I cancelled
two holidays to do that. We were all booked up to go to Croatia.
I phoned Ana and told her, “I’m not coming on holiday with you!”
I ask if Ana (his wife) was angry. He looks at me directly and in