Painter in oil and watercolour, and teacher, married to the artist Cynthia Wall. He was born in Bathgate, West Lothian, and studied at Glasgow School of Art, 1946–51, teachers including William and Mary Armour, David Donaldson and Geoffrey Squire, and Hospitalfield House, Arbroath, 1950–1, with Ian Fleming. He painted extensively in Scotland and on the continent, mainly landscape, and preferred “complicated subjects”. Birnie taught in west of Scotland schools, 1952–88 and was a principal examiner for the Scottish Examination Board, 1975–9. He was elected a member of RSW in 1964 and of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, 1993, having been a founder-member of the Glasgow Group, 1958. Had a series of solo exhibitions with Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, from 1989.