Marion (also known as Minnie) Frances Mackay was born in Alness, Easter Ross on the 13th of April 1904. Her father was a (retired) teacher. She attended the University of Glasgow from 1922-1926. While in the Faculty of Arts she took classes in Latin, English Literature, Logic and Metaphysics, Geology, Moral Philosophy, History, Political Economy, and Spanish. At her time at University Minnie won three academic prizes: second class certificates for Geology, English Literature, and Political Philosophy. Minnie was also part of several societies and clubs, including the Woman's club, Liberal Club, Athletics Club, and the Ossianic Society.
After graduating on the 3rd of July 1925 with an MA (ordinary degree) Minnie stayed on at the University of Glasgow to study Spanish, and Political Philosophy, and received a Social Science Diploma in 1927. After University, Minnie became a secretary, working in Glasgow and then London, before marrying in the early 1940s and moved to Manchester. In the early 1950s she moved to Sussex and finally returned back to Scotland (Inverness) in the late 1970s. Minnie Frances Mackay died on the 27th of December 2006 at the age of 102 years.