Edwyn was born in Edinburgh and grew up in Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Having spent all of his childhood holidays in Helmsdale at his grandfather's home, his attachment to the village has been a constant in his life.

The Mackintosh family, Edwyn's mother's family, have lived in the house at Navidale since the early part of the 19th century, having moved there from the parish of Loth. The house retains many traces of the generations who have lived there, not least of William Mackintosh, Edwyn's great-grandfather who, as a well known local mason, created the house as it is today. He was also responsible for many houses of the period which stand in the village today and worked on the construction of the house that is now the Royal Marine in Brora.

His son, Dr H. Stewart Mackintosh, CBE, Edwyn's grandfather, was born in the house, the fourth of six children. He was educated in Helmsdale School, and on graduating from the Higher Grade, gained entry to Glasgow University. His success there and later as a Maths teacher, eventually becoming Director of Education for Greater Glasgow, he always laid at the door of the strong educational footing he received in a small Highland school. But among his many distinguished achievements, Helmsdale was most proud of him during his time he received many caps as a member of the Scottish international rugby union side. In 1984 the village honoured him when he was chieftain of the 3rd Highland Games.

The influence of his grandparents and of the village has been immense on Edwyn's life. As a boy he was able to indulge his passion for nature, wildlife, geology, combing the hills and the shore with his family. Edwyn became a musician in his teens, forming his band Orange Juice, with other classmates. At the age of twenty he jointly created Postcard Records of Scotland, the independent record label whose influence reverberates among aspiring and successful bands thirty years later. Orange Juice enjoyed considerable success before breaking up in 1985. In his solo career, there have been lean times and successful times. In the nineties, Edwyn enjoyed a particular purple patch with the global success of "A Girl Like You," the biggest hit of his life. In recent times he has been honoured many times over by his own industry, notably receiving in 2009 an Ivor Novello award recognising his "inspirational" contribution as a songwriter, and from the music magazine, Q, their  "Q Legend Award" at a ceremony in London last autumn.

In 1998, some years after his grandfather's death, to his great joy, Edwyn, together with his wife Grace, came to own the house at Navidale where so many of his best memories were lodged. After a lengthy period of neglect, the house came back to life, and the family have enjoyed many happy times there, with their son William, joined by friends and family from the village and from all corners of the country. Helmsdale, the house, and the wonderful country round about played a vital part in helping Edwyn face the greatest challenge of his life when in 2005 he had two successive brain haemorrhages. Left unable to walk, use language, memory, or even think, Edwyn had to endure six months in hospital. Ten months after succumbing to this terrible illness, he made his way back to Helmsdale for Christmas, with overwhelming emotion and gladness to be alive and on the mend in the place he loves best.

Since then he has made tremendous progress. He is back performing and recording, and indeed, during a wonderful tour of the Highlands and Islands last autumn, fulfilled a long held ambition when he played a show in the Community Centre. A night to live long in his memory. What would Stewart have made of it?

When he heard he had been invited to be chieftain, he responded:

"I'm so flattered. It's an honour, especially as it's from Helmsdale. I just don't know what to say. Thank you."

 May 2010