Alasdair Hutton worked as a journalist in several newspapers and broadcaster with the BBC in Scotland, London and Northern Ireland.
In 1979 Hutton was elected Member of the European Parliament and remained an MEP until 1989. During that time he was member of the European Democratic Group, member of the Committee on Regional Policy and Regional Planning, member of the Committee on Youth, Culture, Education, Information and Sport, member of the Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand and member of the Committee on Budgetary Control.
He became the Storyteller and writer of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1992