In memory of alumnus Sandy Gall (1925 - 2025) CMG, CBE

We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Sandy Gall OG, renowned foreign correspondent, broadcaster, and humanitarian, who died on 29 June 2025, aged 97.

A proud alumnus of Glenalmond College, Sandy Gall’s extraordinary career spanned more than six decades, during which he reported from many of the world’s most volatile regions. From the Suez Crisis and the Vietnam War to the frontlines of Afghanistan, Gall was a fearless journalist, committed to telling the stories that mattered, often at great personal risk.

Born in Penang, British Malaya, in 1927, Sandy returned to Scotland at the age of four. He was educated at Glenalmond before going on to study French and German at the University of Aberdeen, following national service in the RAF. He began his career with Reuters before joining ITN in 1963, becoming one of the first presenters of News at Ten. His legacy in broadcast journalism is one of integrity, insight, and courage.

Sandy Gall's connection to Afghanistan became a defining feature of his later career. Deeply moved by the suffering he witnessed there, he founded the Sandy Gall Afghanistan Appeal in 1983, which continues to provide vital medical support to those injured by landmines. His work earned him numerous honours, including a CBE for services to journalism in 1988 and a CMG in 2011 for his humanitarian work in Afghanistan.

Throughout his life, Sandy remained a passionate advocate for truth and justice. He authored several books, including his 2012 work War Against the Taliban, and a biography of the Afghan resistance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, Afghan Napoleon (2021).

Sandy Gall's legacy will be remembered not only through his journalism and humanitarian efforts, but also through the values he embodied: integrity, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the power of storytelling.

Our thoughts are with his family, his son Alexander, and daughters Carlotta, Fiona and Michaela. His wife, Eleanor, sadly died in 2018.