Actress Mary Riggans dies

Scottish TV actress Mary Riggans has died at the age of 78. The star passed away in her sleep on Monday (02Dec13) with her daughter, Samantha, by her side. She suffered a stroke last year (12), according to Britain’s Daily Record newspaper.
Riggans’ former Take the High Road co-star Eileen McCallum says, “It is a very sad loss. Mary was a lovely woman who I’ve known all my life. She was such a versatile actress, working in soap, drama, comedy and children’s programmes… She suffered a stroke last year and didn’t recover fully. When I last saw her I told her to ‘sleep well darling’ and she died the next day, my 77th birthday, with her daughter there.”
Riggans starred in a number of radio, TV and theatre shows during her career, including turns in crime drama Taggart and sitcom Rab C Nesbitt, but found fame playing Effie Macinnes in hit Scottish drama Take the High Road. She played the role for almost 20 years.
Riggans later starred in children’s show Balamory.