Born in London in 1949, Mr McGrigor attended Eton College. After school he travelled to Kashmir and Russia before working in shipping in Glasgow and at a stockbroker in London. Mr McGrigor returned to Scotland where he started a fish farm and a cattle and sheep farm. He entered politics in 1996. He is a member of many local committees and the NFU, Scottish Crofters Union, the Atlantic Salmon Trust Council and Whites (London).