Elizabeth Cunningham

**Elizabeth Cunningham** was the mother of **Fiona** and the ex-wife of **Peter**, and the original Lady Laird of Glendarroch from the first episode until her death in a car accident in 1986. She was played by **Edith MacArthur** in **278 episodes** between **February 1980** and **December 1986.**

## **Biography**

Elizabeth was born Elizabeth Peddie, the daughter of Sir Logan Peddie, and on her father's death she became the Lady Laird of Glendarroch. Married to Peter Cunningham, an Edinburgh lawyer, they had one daughter, Fiona. The problem of being a successful Edinburgh lawyer's wife as well as Lady Laird of Glendarroch proved too much and the marriage foundered.

Elizabeth had many problems keeping the estate going, death duties having taken up so much money there was little left to keep it viable. Forced to sell to a German consortium headed by Max Langemann, she retained a seat on the board and thereafter her main concern was to ensure that the life of the estate was not wrecked by the demands of the new owners.

She was distressed when Peter announced he was marrying again, but the marriage did not last, and it looked as if a reconciliation might be possible. She spent more and more time in Edinburgh, leaving the estate in Fiona's hands. But when Fiona became pregnant and the birth of her baby was due, Elizabeth, driving to the hospital to see her new grandson, was killed in a car crash.

## **Appearances:**

### **1980 - 48 episodes**

* Thu 6 Mar
* Tue 25 Mar
* Thu 17 Apr
* Tue 6 May
* Thu 29 May
* Thu 30 Oct
* Thu 20 Nov
* Tue 9 Dec
* Wed 24 Dec
* Tue 11 Mar
* Thu 27 Mar
* Tue 22 Apr
* Tue 13 May
* Tue 14 Oct
* Tue 4 Nov
* Tue 25 Nov
* Thu 11 Dec
* Mon 29 Dec
* Thu 13 Mar
* Tue 1 Apr
* Thu 24 Apr
* Tue 20 May
* Thu 16 Oct
* Thu 6 Nov
* Thu 27 Nov
* Tue 16 Dec
* Wed 31 Dec
* Tue 18 Mar
* Thu 3 Apr
* Tue 29 Apr
* Thu 22 May
* Tue 21 Oct
* Tue 11 Nov
* Tue 2 Dec
* Thu 18 Dec
* Thu 20 Mar
* Tue 15 Apr
* Thu 1 May
* Tue 27 May
* Thu 23 Oct
* Tue 18 Nov
* Thu 4 Dec
* Mon 22 Dec

### **1981 - 44 episodes**

* Thu 16 Apr
* Tue 5 May
* Thu 21 May
* Thu 11 Jun
* Tue 30 Jun
* Tue 20 Oct
* Thu 12 Nov
* Tue 8 Dec
* Tue 21 Apr
* Thu 7 May
* Tue 26 May
* Tue 16 Jun
* Thu 2 Jul
* Thu 22 Oct
* Tue 17 Nov
* Thu 10 Dec
* Thu 23 Apr
* Tue 12 May
* Tue 2 Jun
* Thu 18 Jun
* Tue 6 Oct
* Tue 3 Nov
* Thu 19 Nov
* Tue 15 Dec
* Tue 28 Apr
* Thu 14 May
* Thu 4 Jun
* Tue 23 Jun
* Thu 8 Oct
* Thu 5 Nov
* Tue 1 Dec
* Thu 17 Dec
* Thu 30 Apr
* Tue 19 May
* Tue 9 Jun
* Thu 25 Jun
* Thu 15 Oct
* Tue 10 Nov
* Thu 3 Dec

### **1982 - 52 episodes**

* Thu 21 Jan
* Tue 9 Feb
* Thu 4 Mar
* Tue 24 Aug
* Tue 21 Sep
* Thu 7 Oct
* Tue 26 Oct
* Tue 16 Nov
* Thu 2 Dec
* Tue 21 Dec
* Tue 26 Jan
* Thu 11 Feb
* Tue 9 Mar
* Thu 26 Aug
* Thu 23 Sep
* Tue 12 Oct
* Tue 2 Nov
* Thu 18 Nov
* Tue 7 Dec
* Thu 23 Dec
* Thu 28 Jan
* Tue 16 Feb
* Thu 11 Mar
* Tue 7 Sep
* Tue 28 Sep
* Thu 14 Oct
* Thu 4 Nov
* Tue 23 Nov
* Thu 9 Dec
* Tue 2 Feb
* Thu 18 Feb
* Tue 16 Mar
* Thu 9 Sep
* Thu 30 Sep
* Tue 19 Oct
* Tue 9 Nov
* Thu 25 Nov
* Tue 14 Dec
* Thu 4 Feb
* Tue 2 Mar
* Thu 18 Mar
* Tue 14 Sep
* Tue 5 Oct
* Thu 21 Oct
* Thu 11 Nov
* Tue 30 Nov
* Thu 16 Dec

### **1983 - 44 episodes**

* Thu 21 Jul
* Thu 11 Aug
* Tue 6 Sep
* Tue 27 Sep
* Thu 13 Oct
* Tue 1 Nov
* Thu 17 Nov
* Tue 6 Dec
* Tue 26 Jul
* Tue 16 Aug
* Thu 8 Sep
* Thu 29 Sep
* Tue 18 Oct
* Thu 3 Nov
* Tue 22 Nov
* Thu 8 Dec
* Thu 28 Jul
* Thu 25 Aug
* Tue 13 Sep
* Tue 4 Oct
* Thu 20 Oct
* Tue 8 Nov
* Thu 24 Nov
* Tue 13 Dec
* Tue 2 Aug
* Tue 30 Aug
* Tue 20 Sep
* Thu 6 Oct
* Tue 25 Oct
* Thu 10 Nov
* Tue 29 Nov
* Thu 22 Dec
* Thu 4 Aug
* Thu 1 Sep
* Thu 22 Sep
* Tue 11 Oct
* Thu 27 Oct
* Tue 15 Nov
* Thu 1 Dec

### **1984 - 50 episodes**

* Thu 19 Jan
* Tue 7 Feb
* Tue 28 Feb
* Thu 15 Mar
* Thu 20 Sep
* Tue 9 Oct
* Thu 1 Nov
* Tue 20 Nov
* Thu 6 Dec
* Tue 24 Jan
* Thu 9 Feb
* Thu 1 Mar
* Tue 20 Mar
* Tue 25 Sep
* Thu 11 Oct
* Tue 6 Nov
* Thu 22 Nov
* Tue 11 Dec
* Thu 26 Jan
* Tue 14 Feb
* Tue 6 Mar
* Tue 4 Sep
* Thu 27 Sep
* Tue 16 Oct
* Thu 8 Nov
* Tue 27 Nov
* Thu 13 Dec
* Tue 31 Jan
* Tue 21 Feb
* Thu 8 Mar
* Thu 6 Sep
* Tue 2 Oct
* Thu 18 Oct
* Tue 13 Nov
* Thu 29 Nov
* Tue 18 Dec
* Thu 2 Feb
* Thu 23 Feb
* Tue 13 Mar
* Tue 18 Sep
* Thu 4 Oct
* Tue 30 Oct
* Thu 15 Nov
* Tue 4 Dec
* Thu 20 Dec

### **1985 - 20 episodes**

* Tue 2 Jul
* Thu 18 Jul
* Tue 6 Aug
* Thu 4 Jul
* Tue 23 Jul
* Thu 8 Aug
* Tue 9 Jul
* Thu 25 Jul
* Tue 13 Aug
* Thu 11 Jul
* Tue 30 Jul
* Tue 12 Nov
* Tue 16 Jul
* Thu 1 Aug
* Thu 14 Nov

### **1986 - 20 episodes**

* Tue 13 May
* Tue 3 Jun
* Thu 23 Oct
* Thu 15 May
* Thu 5 Jun
* Tue 9 Dec
* Tue 20 May
* Tue 10 Jun
* Thu 11 Dec
* Thu 22 May
* Thu 12 Jun
* Tue 16 Dec
* Tue 27 May
* Thu 17 Jul
* Thu 18 Dec

## **References**

1. ↑ Elder, Michael (1990) *10 Years of Take the High Road*, Boxtree, London, p. 57