Scotsman Obituaries: Bill Blyth, lawyer turned City of Edinburgh Council chief executive

When he moved into public administration, his determination to get the job done was just as evident: when teams involved in a key project failed to agree legal and financial arrangements on the eve of an important deadline, he simply locked the door and declared that no-one was leaving his office until agreements were reached. They concluded at 2am.

But under that tough exterior lay deep compassion. When he found an elderly woman in tears on the stairs – he always ran up and down the six flights to his office – he stopped to help. The problem was with the housing department but Bill took the distressed visitor to his secretariat, organised a cup of tea for her plus an escort to Housing, and instructed that whatever the difficulty, it was to be sorted.

William Blyth was born in Kirkcaldy the son of the City of Edinburgh architect whose wife was a schoolteacher. After six months the family moved to Musselburgh where, at the age of 12, he became Dux of Musselburgh Grammar School, winning a scholarship to George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh.

Going on to study at Edinburgh University’s law department, Bill achieved three degrees between 1956 and 1963 – an MA, LLB and B.Com. Although keen to head to America and having been accepted to do his PhD there by three prestigious universities, Bill decided it was time to earn his living and he was indentured to Edinburgh solicitors Cuthbertson & Watson.

As his career progressed he moved to the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board, then to the Scottish Gas Board, and in 1966 was appointed Scottish solicitor to the large credit finance company Lloyds & Scottish Finance Ltd.

Much of his expertise was in Corporate Law and the company was going through significant expansion at the time – a period he thoroughly enjoyed, describing that spell in the Sixties as the “Mad Men” days.

Tall, handsome and the driver of a snazzy yellow Lotus Elan, Bill met his future wife Anna at the end of 1970 and was immediately smitten. They married five months later, had three children and moved from Gullane to Edinburgh.

Bill joined the City of Edinburgh Council as Head of Conveyancing and Contracts in 1971 and became Senior Depute Director of Administration, before serving a long period as Director of Administration and finally becoming Chief Executive following the departure of controversial predecessor American Paul Lowenberg, who was the subject of a vote of no confidence halfway through his contract.

During his tenure Bill was involved in a considerable amount of structural and organisational change and was closely involved in the creation of Edinburgh’s Waverley Market shopping centre, the Traverse Theatre in the Saltire Court development and the refurbishment of the International Festival Theatre.

He was Secretary and Legal Advisor to the International Festival for more than ten years, a board member of the International Jazz Festival and heavily involved with the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

He was also responsible for alcohol licensing in Edinburgh, contributing on the subject to the Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia which records the law of Scotland, and, with the advent of private/public partnerships, found himself on the board of 12 private limited companies.

His role also entailed attending numerous formal ceremonies including Royal Garden Parties and receptions for politicians and foreign dignitaries, including the Queen of Norway, South African politician F W de Klerk and actress Jessica Lange, whom he sat beside at the premiere of the film Rob Roy.

Bill left the local authority in 1996, becoming a consultant to solicitors Tods Murray & Jamieson for a couple of years before retiring to The Glenkens area of Galloway. There he served Balmaclellan as a community councillor and provided informal legal advice to Galloway Landscape and Renewable Energy, GLARE.

He and Anna travelled extensively in retirement and he enjoyed a variety of hobbies – gardening, reading and jazz were lifelong interests.

Bill was also a golfer but, by his own admission, was of limited talent. He had been a member at Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield Golf Club as a young man, later joining Gullane and Mortonhall Golf Clubs and latterly was a member of New Galloway.

Seventeen years ago he bought a house in Madeira and during the Covid pandemic, when flights to the island were cancelled, he solved the transport problem by hiring a private jet, an extravagant but truly memorable experience.

Bill Blyth is survived by his wife Anna, children Jenny, Paul and Douglas, and four grandchildren.

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