Barclay Chivas Abernethy was born on 18 January 1928 in Aberdeen, son of Andrew, a commission agent, and Anne Hendry. He was educated in Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen, and Aberdeen University, qualifying in 1949. After house appointments in Aberdeen his postgraduate education included posts at Northampton, Kirkaldy and London, at the Middlesex Hospital as surgical registrar under Vaughan Hudson and Lloyd Davies, thus beginning his interest in thyroid and colorectal surgery. He gained the FRCS Edinburgh in 1958 and the FRCS England in 1959. He became consultant surgeon at East Fife Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital, Kirkaldy, and was a senior lecturer in the department of clinical surgery, University of Edinburgh. He was RCS Edinburgh regional advisor for East Fife and a member of the examination board. He had a reputation of being a good bedside teacher. He retired early through ill health. His leisure interests included fishing and curling. He died on 30 November 1991, being survived by his wife Isobel, née Dennis, whom he had married in 1952, having one son and two daughters.