Andy Murray’s grandmother dies as tributes pour in for ‘one of a kind’ woman.
Tennis star Andy Murray is grieving the loss of his grandmother, who tragically died just weeks after the passing of his grandfather Roy Erskine.
Andy’s cousin, actor Ailsa Erskine, announced the sad news on Instagram, sharing a poignant series of 19 photos commemorating her grandmother’s life. In a moving tribute, Ailsa characterised her as ‘one of a kind’ and someone who ‘lit up every room.’
The emotional caption read: “We said goodbye to my sweet, amazing, hilarious and one of a kind granny last week. She lit up every room she walked into, smiled at every stranger she passed and was always guilty of having too much chatter down Dunblane High Street.
“I will miss her so much but there will not be a day that goes by that I won’t think of her and take a little bit of her with me. What a life she led and I will count my lucky stars to have grown up with such a light of a woman in my life. Sleep well granny, mini, fairy b, gran gran, Shirley E, my best friend. Thanks for giving me the gift of the gab. Say hi to Grandpa for me. Love you so much.”, reports the Daily Record.
Condolences flooded the comment section of Ailsa’s post, from all those who knew Shirley. Elaine Ritchie commented: “What a wonderful grand-daughter you are Beautiful words.”
Meanwhile, Joanne Crawford wrote: “What a lovely tribute to your gran. She was always such a lovely lady when she was interviewed about her grandsons and you xxx”.
The messages of condolence continued with Susan Gillespie posting: “So saddened to read this message – fond memories of Tennis Week in Elgin @ St.leonards hotel xx.”
Jane Mccormack said: “So sorry to hear about your Granny and Grandpa x sending our love to you all.”
Shirley’s death arrives just weeks following the passing of her husband Roy Erskine, Andy’s grandfather, who died aged 94. Roy, who showed promise as a tennis player in his youth, competed as a professional footballer playing full back for Hibernian, Stirling Albion and Cowdenbeath.
News of his death was shared by his former club Stirling Albion, who released a heartfelt tribute to him. The statement said: “Everyone at Stirling Albion was saddened to learn of the passing of former player, Roy Erskine, on the 19th of January 2026.
“Roy joined Albion from Troon Juniors in August 1954 and played with the club for two seasons before leaving for Cowdenbeath in In recent years, Roy had been a regular with his daughter Judy at club hospitality where he enjoyed speaking with supporters and chatting about his time at the club.
“He was particularly pleased to help celebrate the club’s League 2 championship win in 2022-23. A well-known and popular figure in Dunblane where he spent many years as an Optician, he will be sorely missed.”
Both Roy and Shirley were avid supporters of their grandsons Andy and Jamie Murray’s tennis careers, frequently spotted at matches rooting for them.
