Robert Maclaren was born in Glasgow on 27 October 1923 and was educated at Glasgow Academy. His preclinical medical education was at King's College, London, before qualifying from the Westminster Hospital. After two years of resident appointments at the Westminster and Royal National Orthopaedic Hos

Born on 21 October 1911 the second son of Robert Taylor, a fruiterer, and his wife née Young, he was educated at Hillhead High School, Glasgow and Glasgow University, where he graduated in science in 1933 and qualified in medicine in 1936. He served as resident surgical officer at Bolton Royal Infir