Dr John Watts was educated at the universities of Oxford and Glasgow. He is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, a member of the Scottish Catholic Heritage Commission and a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. His publications include Scalan: The Forbidden College (Tuckwell Press, 1999) and Hugh MacDonald (Birlinn, 2002). He is married with six children, and lives in Addiewell, West Lothian.