Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
A stalwart SNP member, Dr Allan gained the Banff & Portsoy seat from the Conservatives at the 1986 regional elections and held it until Grampian Regional Council was abolished in 1996. The result at the time was seen as part of the spectacular local SNP breakthrough at those elections, heralding the loss of the Westminster seat by the Conservatives to the SNP the following year.Banff & Macduff Branch of the SNP honoured Dr Allan in 2017 with lifetime membership. Speaking on that occasion, he said:
“I’ve been a member of the SNP since 1961, when I joined just before leaving for Canada – where I worked as a doctor at the University of Ottawa.
“There was an SNP branch over there that I was the secretary of, so when I came back to Banff, I was naturally involved with the party.”
“There was an SNP branch over there that I was the secretary of, so when I came back to Banff, I was naturally involved with the party.”
Paying tribute, Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson said:
“Norman was a stalwart of the local SNP and will be sadly missed by all who knew him. As a regional councillor, he served the communities of Banff and Portsoy for a decade and continued to be a prominent figure in the local community.
“Norman was a regular attender until quite recently at SNP branch and constituency meetings and could be relied upon to offer sage advice on the prevailing political situation.”
“Norman was a regular attender until quite recently at SNP branch and constituency meetings and could be relied upon to offer sage advice on the prevailing political situation.”
SNP councillor for Banff & District Glen Reynolds said:
"Norman was a local treasure, inspiring and enthusiastic for all that life and the area could offer, not least through the companionship he so lovingly gave and received.
“Maybe that was the key to the boundless energy he retained until the end. He never stopped enjoying the company of people and the local community that meant so much to him. In Norman's passing, Banff has lost a faithful servant.”
“Maybe that was the key to the boundless energy he retained until the end. He never stopped enjoying the company of people and the local community that meant so much to him. In Norman's passing, Banff has lost a faithful servant.”
Former Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford added:
“Norman was always a source of great encouragement to me and was firmly of the view that it was the younger generation who would deliver independence for Scotland. Our thoughts are with Alison and the rest of his family.”
