Peter grew up in Inverness, the Highland capital. He studied Science and Scottish History at the University of St Andrews. World famous as the home of golf, St Andrews is also home to Scotland's oldest University, founded in 1411. Peter took a part-time degree in Humanities with History at the Open University during the 1990s. This course included 'Modern Scottish History since 1707' and 'Family and Community History', which allowed the use of the substantial documentary sources collected over the years on some of his family origins in the Highlands. He then joined the Masters degree course run by the History department of the University of Dundee and graduated in 2003 with an MPhil for a dissertation on the Clan Gregor between 1583 and 1611. In 2004 he gained a certificate in Scottish Field Archaeology at the University of Glasgow and is a member of the Association of Certified Field Archaeologists. For many years he has been a member of the Scottish Genealogy Society, the Scottish History Society and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Peter's interest in genealogy led to him joining the Clan Gregor Society, where he has been, for many years, Vice-Chairman of Council and editor of the Society's Newsletter. He has written a number of papers for the Society including 'the early history of the Clan Gregor' and 'The Clan Gregor in the 1745 rising'. The MacGregor connection comes through his father's mother. After many years of genealogical research he is confident of his descent from Gregor ghlun dubh MacGregor of Glengyle, nephew of Rob Roy MacGregor. He is equally as proud of his descent from many other Highland clans. Peter has been involved in the MacGregor DNA project through FamilyTreeDNA of Arizona. As the Y-chromosome carries the family tree interest of DNA, Peter's nearest male MacGregor relative took the test, confirming his shared DNA with the Clan chief, Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor. A fascinating journey of discovery is in its early stages with the DNA project, illustrating both the genetic diversity within the clan, and the relationship of the leading families of Clan Gregor to other clans of Dalriadic origin.
Future historical novels are being considered which deal with the lives of Gregor Roy MacGregor, executed in 1571 and Alasdair Roy MacGregor, his son and successor as Clan Chief, who was executed in 1604 after the Battle of Glen Fruin.