John MacKay Facts: Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Family, and Net Worth

John MacKay is a Scottish journalist and anchor for WFSB-TV.

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Best Known For:The television program Channel 3 Eyewitness News

Breakthrough:Joined STV as a Scotland Today reporter in 1994

10 Quick Facts About John MacKay

Full Name: John MacKay
Nationality: Scottish
Profession: News anchor and journalist
Known For: The television program Channel 3 Eyewitness News
Current Employer: WFSB-TV
Place of Birth: Glasgow, Scotland
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Male
Specialization: News Anchor / Newscaster, Journalist, and TV Host
Beats: Politics / Government

John MacKay Age

John MacKay's exact age is not publicly confirmed.

Education

His educational background includes studies at Penilee Secondary School and University of Glasgow.

Penilee Secondary School
University of Glasgow
- Field of Study: Politics

Career & Work

John MacKay's career includes news and reporting roles with BBC Scotland and STV.

Role: Novelist and Nonfiction Author

Period: 2002–Present

Details: Scotland

Organization: BBC Scotland

Role: Scotcast Guest Presenter

Period: August–September 2026

Details: Glasgow, Scotland

Organization: STV

Role: Scotland Tonight Presenter

Period: 2011–March 2026

Details: Scotland · Presented the current-affairs program from its launch.

Organization: STV

Role: Scotland Today and STV News Anchor

Period: 1998–March 2026

Details: Scotland

Organization: STV

Role: Scotland Today Reporter

Period: 1994–1998

Details: Glasgow, Scotland

Organization: BBC Scotland

Role: Radio and Television Journalist

Period: Before 1994

Details: Scotland · Worked across radio and television news, current affairs and sports reporting.

Rise to Fame

John MacKay rose to prominence for his role for the book Home.

Notable Works

Notable media work includes STV News at Six, Scotland Tonight, and The Road Dance.

Television

TV Show: STV News at Six (Presenter, Until March 2026) — STV flagship evening television news
TV Show: Scotland Tonight (Presenter, 2011-2026) — Scottish current-affairs television program

Books

Book: The Road Dance (Author, 2002) — Historical novel subsequently adapted into a film released in 2022
Book: Heartland (Author, 2004) — Novel set in the Scottish Western Isles
Book: Last of the Line (Author, 2006) — Novel set in the Scottish Western Isles
Book: Notes of a Newsman: Witness to a Changing Scotland (Author, 2015) — Memoir of a Scottish broadcasting career
Book: Home (Author, 2021) — Novel set in the Scottish Western Isles
Book: Scotland Today & Yesterday (Author, 2024) — Nonfiction account of major events and changes in Scotland

Notable Coverage

Lockerbie bombing – BBC Scotland – 1988 – Covered the aftermath of the terrorist bombing in Scotland
Dunblane Primary School massacre – STV – 1996 – Reported on the tragedy, later identifying it as one of the most difficult assignments of his career
Creation of the Scottish Parliament – STV – 1999 – Reported Scotland's constitutional and political changes
Scottish independence referendum – STV – 2014 – Presented coverage of the referendum and its political consequences
Death of Queen Elizabeth II – STV – 2022 – Covered developments in Scotland following the monarch's death

Lesser Known Facts

His family has longstanding connections with the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Western Isles.
His debut novel The Road Dance was adapted into a feature film released in 2022.
He began his journalism career in newspapers before moving into radio and television.
He appeared briefly in The Road Dance film alongside his son.
He left STV in March 2026 after more than three decades to concentrate on writing and creative projects.
His own author website says he is writing a fifth novel.