Isla Traquair

Traquair was born in Aberdeen on New Year's Day 1980 to parents Ian Traquair, a software developer, and Maureen Traquair, a school teacher. She has 3 brothers. She is the great great granddaughter of Phoebe Anna Traquair, the first important professional woman artist of modern Scotland.

At the age of 15, Traquair began working one day a week at a press agency fitting it in around her studies. During this work placement, Traquair wrote a front-page story in a national paper about job losses due to the beef crisis.

In 1996, after cutting short her final year at school, Traquair was selected from hundreds of entrants to take part in an in-house training scheme with Aberdeen Journals. She stayed with the newspaper group for nearly five years; for the last two she was the crime and court reporter for local Aberdeenshire broadsheet The Press and Journal.[1]

In 2005 Traquair and four colleagues took part in a ten-day challenge through the dense Sangklaburi jungle in Thailand. They raised almost £30,000 for Children's Hospice Association Scotland and Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. The team were trained by an ex-marine for several months prior to the trek in order to get fit enough for the gruelling challenge.

In 2009, The Scotland on Sunday named Traquair the second most eligible woman in Scotland.[3]

Traquair separated from her husband in 2007 and later divorced.[4]

Traquair's interests out of work include films, music, golf, drumming, swimming, skiing, painting, and cooking. She loves baking cakes and has on occasion baked specially designed cakes for her celebrity guests.

Traquair is a lifelong fan of Arsenal and is a member of the Arsenal Scotland Supporters Club.

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