Ian Olson, educated at Robert Gordon's College and Aberdeen University's Medical School, followed a largely medical science and teaching career in Aberdeen, Bristol, Nottingham and Kuwait. He had a parallel career in Scottish ethnology, especially the traditional and historical ballads, and traditional singing, with both academic and popular publications. Awarded an honorary degree by Aberdeen University in 2006 for his medical and ethnological career, he has now retired from medicine and is currently Honorary Research Fellow, University of Aberdeen.