Carron woman’s dad was a film star almost a century ago

Anna (75), who lives in Newcarron Court, in Carron, was invited to attend a special screening of the rarely seen 1922 silent movie Rob Roy in the great hall of Stirling Castle earlier this year by the kind folks at HippFest, who heard her dad James Kemp Marjoribanks had a part in the historic film.

And you would have thought he was Douglas Fairbanks, instead of James Marjoribanks, the way he built up his role to his family and friends over the years.

Anna said: “Watching the film on the big screen in the castle was very good, but I didn’t see my dad. He was one of the 800 extras from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who were involved in the filming of a battle scene at Stirling Castle.

“He always told me he was a film star with flowing golden locks and it was the first thing he told other people too.”

Ironically, James played an English soldier in the film, which tells the story of Scotland’s 18th century outlaw folk hero and features lots of great location shots of the Trossachs and Stirling.

It stars a tartan-clad David Hawthorne in the title role of Rob Roy MacGregor and the film featured in HippFest 2019 at the start of the year before going out on “tour” to various venues including Stirling Castle.

James died at the age of 74 in 1978, but he would no doubt have been proud he is immortalised – somewhere – in a feature film which is still being shown in the 21st century. “I just want to thank the HippFest people for letting me see the film on the big screen with my nephew and his wife,” said Anna.

Anna’s next adventure will see her jet off to Australia for the 21st birthday of her grandson.

Rob Roy can be viewed on You Tube, so no doubt Anna and her Aussie family will be pouring over the footage in fine detail to try and catch a glimpse of James in action.