List of Take the High Road characters
This is a list of characters who appeared in the soap opera Take the High Road,
The show is noted for featuring Alan Cumming, in his first acting credit, and comedian Chic Murray in one of his last television appearances as a balaclava-clad itinerant poacher, causing problems on the Glendarroch Estate.
1980
First Episode- Elizabeth Cunningham - Edith MacArthur
- Alan McIntyre - Martin Cochrane
- Kay Grant - Vivien Heilbron
- Max Langemann - Frederick Jaeger
- Dougal Lachlan - Alec Monteath
- Grace Lachlan - Marjorie Thomson
- Amy Lachlan - Julie Ann Fullarton
- Isabel Blair - Eileen McCallum
- Jimmy Blair - Jimmy Chisholm
- Ken Calder - Bill Henderson
- Maggie Ferguson - Irene Sunters
- Lorna Seton - Joan Alcorn
- Fiona Cunningham - Caroline Ashley
Other debut appearances in 1980
- "Mrs Archie"
- Brian Blair
- David Blair
- George Carradine
- John Crawford
- Ian Duff
- Donald Lachlan
- Leslie Maxwell
- Alice McEwan
- Archie Menzies
- Andy Semple
- Jane Steedman
- Bob Taylor
- Dr Wallace
- 'Sorry' Watson
Departing characters
- "Mrs Archie"
- Kay Grant
- Amy Lachlan
- Leslie Maxwell
- Alan McIntyre
1981
Debut appearances
- Helen Blair
- Tom Clifton
- Peter Craig
- Douglas Dunbar
- Kirsty Forsyth
- Robert Forsyth
- Sojer Johnny
- Alison Lambert
- Hamish McNeil
- Klaus Meier
- Morag Stewart
- Lady Strathmorris
- Lord Andrew Strathmorris
- Miss Lucy Armstrong
1982
Debut appearances
- Kate Blair
- Bruno Rheinhardt
- Alec Geddes
- Graeme B Hogg
- Tom Kerr AKA "Inverdarroch"
- Mrs Mary Mack
- Rev Iain McPherson
- Mr Obidiah Arthur Murdoch
- Sergeant Murray
- Eddie Ramsay
- Jean Semple
- Jamie Stewart
Departing characters who make return appearances
- Maggie Ferguson
1983
- Jock Campbell
- Marion Cochrane
- Dan Lamont
- Irene Lamont
- Sheila Lamont
- Effie Macinnes
- Carol McKay
- John Morrison
- Mr Thomson
- Miss Richardson
Characters making return guest appearances
- Maggie Watson
Final appearances
- Douglas Dunbar
1984
Debut appearances
- Sally Shaw
- Davie Sneddon
- Willie Stewart
- Lily Taylor
Return guest appearances
- Maggie Watson
Departing characters who make return appearances
- Jimmy Blair
- Sally Shaw
1985
Debut appearances
- Sandra Blair
- Florence Crossan
- Ruari Galbraith
- Rev Parker
Return appearances
- Lily Taylor
Departing characters who make return appearances in later years
- Sandra Blair
- Florence Crossan
- Lily Taylor
Final appearances
- Ken Calder
1986
Debut appearances
- Joyce Cameron
- Willie Gillespie
- Mr Hendry
- Jim Hunter
- Fergus Jamieson
- Jockie McDonald
- Heather McNeil
- Constable Graham McPhee
- Mrs Jean McTaggart
- Harry Shaw
- Oggie Wilson
Characters making return appearances
- Jimmy Blair
- Sally Shaw
Departing characters who will make return appearances
- Jim Hunter
- Eddie Ramsay
- Harry Shaw
- Sally Shaw
- Jimmy Blair
- Joyce Cameron
- Elizabeth Cunningham
- Mr Hendry
1987
Debut appearances
- Susan Duncan
- Lynne McNeil
- Mairi McNeil
- Mark Ritchie
- Eric Ross-Gifford
- Joanna Ross-Gifford
- Sir John Ross-Gifford
- Lady Margaret Ross-Gifford
Return appearances
- Harry Shaw
- Sally Shaw
Character re-casting
- Willie Gillespie
- Donald Lachlan
Final appearances
- Jamie Stewart
- Mrs Mctavish
1988
Debut appearances
- Gladys Aitken
- Mrs Galbraith
- Claire Kerr
- Scott Logan
- Tam Logan
- Joe Reilly
- Moira Reilly
- Lady William
Returning characters
- Jim Hunter
Final appearances
- Jim Hunter
- Tam Logan
- Lady Margaret Ross Gifford
1989
Debut appearances
- Emma Aitken
- Colin Begg
- Michael Ross
Character re-casting
- Alice Taylor
Return appearances
- Susan Duncan
- David Blair
- Jockie McDonald
- Harry Shaw
- Eddie Ramsay
- Jock Campbell
Departing characters who will return
- Jockie McDonald
- Mr Murdoch
- Davie Sneddon
Final appearances
- Brian Blair
- Calsang
- Scott Logan
- Hamish McNeil
- Rev Parker
- Mark Ritchie
- Sir John Ross Gifford
- Lorna Seton
- Harry Shaw
- Lord Strathmorris
- Alice Taylor
- Bob Taylor
- Lady William
- Jock Campbell
1990
Debut appearances
- Sam Hagen
- Paul Martin
- Gary McDonald
- Sadie McDonald
- Trish McDonald
- Jessie McKay
- Alun Morgan
- Greg Ryder
- Kenny Tosh
- Tee Jay Wilson
- Shona
Returning characters
- Mr Murdoch
- Davie Sneddon
Departing characters who will return later
- Claire Kerr
- Tom Kerr AKA Inverdarroch
- Eddie Ramsay
Characters making return guest appearances
- Sandra Blair
- Andy Semple
- Maggie Watson
- Lily Wentworth
Final appearances
- Sandra Blair
- Archie Menzies
- Maggie Watson
- Lily Wentworth
1991
Debut appearances
- Mr Crawford
- PC Douglas Kirk
- Margo McGeogh
- Gordon Sinclair
- Matt Sinclair
- Peggy Sinclair
- Andrew Wilson
- Cathy Wilson
Characters making return guest appearances
- Florence Crossan
- Andy Semple
Final appearances
- Florence Crossan
- Paul Martin
- Mr McPherson
- Kenny Tosh
1992
Debut appearances
- Joe Breslin
- DI Busby
- Leonard Carter
- John Clark
- Jennifer Goudie
- Cecelia Hunter
- Celia Maxwell
- Catriona McNeil
- Sandy McNeil
- Menna Morgan
- Nick Stapleton
- Duncan Strachan
- Mark Torrance
Characters making return appearances
- Tom Kerr
Departing characters who will make return appearances
- DI Busby
- Jennifer Goudie
- Mr Murdoch
Final appearances
- John Clark
- Donald Lachlan
- Dougal Lachlan
- Gladys Lachlan
- Jessie McKay
- Gordon Sinclair
- Mark Torrance
1993
Debut appearances
- Judith Crombie
- Iain Strathmorris
Characters making return appearances
- DI Busby
- Jennifer Goudie
Departing characters who will make return appearances
- Sam Hagen
- Tom Kerr
Characters making their last regular appearances
- Grace Lachlan
- Jean McTaggart
Final appearances
- Emma Aitken
- DI Busby
- Leonard Carter
- Jennifer Goudie
- Fergus Jamieson
- Sadie McDonald
- Lynne McNeil
- Fiona Ryder
- Greg Ryder
- Nick Stapleton
- Duncan Strachan
1994
Debut appearances
- Tiffany Bowles
- Callum Gilchrist
- Sarah Gilchrist
- Phineas North
Returning characters
- Sam Hagen
- Mr Murdoch
Departing characters who will return
- Tee Jay Wilson
1995
Debut appearances
- Chic Cherry
- Jaffa Cherry
- Dominic Dunbar
- Peter Odell
- Ewan Patterson
- Cheryl Thom
Return guest appearances
- Mr Murdoch
- Grace Lachlan
- Jean McTaggart
Final appearances
- Judith Crombie
- Grace Lachlan
- Jean McTaggart
- Tee jay Wilson
1996
Debut appearances
- Kelly Marie Cherry
- Senga Cherry
- Stella Greg
- Victor Kemp
- Sally McGann
- Paul Lafferty
Returning characters
- Alun Morgan
- Menna Morgan
- Tom Kerr
- Phineas North
Final appearances
- Alun Morgan
- Michael Ross
- Susan Ross
1997
Debut appearances
- Dylan Geddes
- Martin Geddes
- Kitty McIvor
- Lachie McIvor
- PC Tony Piacentini
- Dr Andy Sharp
Return guest appearances
- Menna Morgan
Final appearances
- Tiffany Bowles
- Dylan Geddes
- Martin Geddes
- Gary McDonald
- Menna Morgan
- Peter O'Dell
- Carol Wilson
1998
Debut appearances
- Jude Burnett
- Maureen Gilchrist
- Tina Harrigan
Character re-casting
- Sandy McNeil
Returning characters
- Sandy McNeil
Final appearances
1999
Debut appearances
- Ewan Logan
- Dan Sutherland
Returning characters
- Tina Harrigan
Final appearances
- Jude Burnett
- Tina Harrigan
- Trish McDonald
- Sandy McNeil
2000
Debut appearances
- Siobhan Devlin
- Nigel Jenkins
- Liam Peters
Departing characters who will return
- Joanna Ross-Gifford
- Kitty McIvor
Final appearances
- Sam Hagen
- Dr Andy Sharp
2001
- George McCracken
Departing characters
- Eric Ross-Gifford
Return guest appearances
- Claire Kerr
- George Carradine
2002
Debut appearances
- Dr Douglas Clark
- Mr Spinetti
Departing characters
- Eddie Ramsay
Characters who depart until final episode
- Isabel Blair
2003
Returning characters
- Joanna Ross-Gifford
Characters who return for the final episode
- Isabel Blair
- Kitty McIvor
- Lynne McNeil
Cast list from the final episode
- Isabel Blair - Eileen McCallum
- Sheila Ramsay - Lesley Fitz-Simons
- Effie McDonald - Mary Riggans
- Jockie McDonald - Jackie Farrell
- Mairi McIvor - Anne Myatt
- Lachie MacIvor - Alec Heggie
- Morag Kerr - Jeannie Fisher
- Tom Kerr - John Stahl
- Mrs Mack - Gwyneth Guthrie
- Victor Kemp - Iain Andrew
- Nigel Jenkins - Keith Warwick
- Davie Sneddon - Derek Lord
- Niall Cassidy - Barry Lord
- Alec MacGlashan - Stewart McMinn
- Sally McGann - Catriona Evans
- Sarah McDonald - Shonagh Price
- Baby Sadie McDonald - Courtney Jane McWatt
- PC Tony Piacentini - Alan McHugh
- Chic Cherry - Andy Cameron
- Paul Lafferty - Simon Weir
- Ewan Logan - Gordon Brown
- Mr Spinetti - Terry Wale
- Kitty McIvor - Sarah Gudgeon
- Lynne McNeil - Gillian McNeil
- Surveyor - Ronnie Simon
- Dr Douglas Clark - John Kazek
Lucy Ross-Gifford was played by Tiffany Walker. Coincidentally a character called Tiffany Walker appeared in the show at one point.