Bill Innes attributes his early interest in Gaelic poetry to a childhood in South Uist
- an island then rich in oral tradition bearers.
After Glasgow University he qualified as a Gaelic teacher but went on to make a career as an airline pilot.
Since retirement from the airline business he has edited and translated the works of South Uist poet/philosopher Donald John MacDonald: Aeòlus Dòmhnall Ruadh Mac an t-Saoir
The collected poetry - Chì Mi (Birlinn 1998) won the 1999 National Mod literature prize.
A revised edition appeared in 2001.
Fo Sgàil a’ Swastika (Acair 2000), a vivid account of MacDonald’s wartime experiences, was voted ‘Best Gaelic Book’ in a poll of Radio nan Gaidheal listeners.
St Valery: The Impossible Odds (Birlinn2004), an account of the capture of the 51st Highland Division in 1940, was re-issued in pocket book form in 2007.
Its royalties go to Erskine Homes.
The little book Old South Uist (Stenlake Publishing 2006) gives a nostalgic picture of a vanished way of life.
An experienced broadcaster on radio and TV, he has presented programmes on subjects as diverse as aviation, Gaelic poetry and classical music.
As a speaker, he has several lavishly illustrated talks, including:
and Duncan Morrison (Lewis)
Macintyre won the Bardic Crown.
A passionate advocate of the importance of oral tradition to Gaelic language and culture, he has lectured widely on traditional poetry to universities and societies in Britain, France and North America.