He started his rugby career playing for amateur side Glasgow Academicals.
[2] After his rugby playing career finished he ran the Jellyhill coffee shop in the West End of Glasgow for several years,[6] alongside his wife Irenne.
[7] He died at his home in Glasgow with a suspected heart attack on 24 July 2008.
Former team-mate and Glasgow captain Gordon Bulloch said that Mackay was one of the best rugby players never to have won a full Scotland cap [8] and another Glasgow team-mate Kenny Logan said that Mackay was one of the few larger than life rugby individuals in the professional era.
[8] A tribute match to celebrate his life was played in his honour at Glasgow Academicals and Glasgow Warriors staff Fergus Wallace and Iain Monaghan took part.