Painter and draughtsman, notable for oils and pastels, born in Selkirk, Selkirkshire. She studied at Edinburgh University, 1972–8. McNairn’s pictures drew on her knowledge and memory of the city, her images often being expressive and bold and owing something to early-twentieth-century French art. Her first one-man show was in 1980 at Calton Studios, Edinburgh; this was followed by a series of exhibitions from 1981 at Scottish capital’s 369 Gallery. Other shows included Bourne Fine Art, Edinburgh, 1997. Among group shows was the major Scottish Art since 1900 exhibition, 1989–90, at Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and touring. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, Glasgow Art Gallery, The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow and City of Edinburgh hold examples.