Magnus Magnusson KBE was an Icelandic national who spent most of his life in Scotland. After studying English at Oxford, he joined the Scottish Daily Express in 1953, and the Scotsman in 1961 as assistant editor. From 1967 he was a freelance writer and broadcaster, specialising in history, archaeology and environmental affairs. He presented many programmes on BBC TV, including Chronicle (1967-80), Mastermind (1972-97), and a twelve-part series on Vikings! (1980). He published more than twenty books. In 1989 he was awarded an honorary knighthood for his services to the heritage of Scotland. He was chairman of the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland (1981-89) and of Scottish Natural Heritage (1992-99). He passed away in January 2007.
