Thanks everyone,
His kilt does look short but maybe has trouble keeping his socks up or was tall. Don't know.
You've helped spark off some ideas. We have no relatives in Ayrshire as far as I know. There was a John White in Edinburgh 1883-1889 but I don't think he's the one - photo looks later to me and only relatives there would have been v. distant.
Think the photographer was James Whyte "photographie artist" who lived at 36 Nithsdale Rd, Tradeston, Glasgow in 1891 census, son John (19) was a photo artist then too.By 1901 the Whyte household had moved to 2 Leslie Rd Kinning Park, Glasgow. here 2 sons in the same house Quintin R.(21) & Thomas R. Whyte (18) were photographic operator /apprentices.
Going cross eyed looking at the bottom of the scotsman photo I can just about convince myself that the chopped off address could read 36 Nithsdale Rd. Now thinking photo may have been taken 1895-1900?
I've got "Christina" in the tree who was born at 48 South Kinning Close in 1880. I think this could he her father who was a "seaman" but is generally absent from the later censuses, I thought this would be because have been at sea, but it's possible he could have been fighting. I I'm attaching another photo of this man to see if you think it could be the same one... I do have the feeling I am just making up my own little story here!
Thanks, Jo
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=A1f_NeIx0coC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=argyll+%26+Sutherland+highlanders+uniform+cap+feather+sporran+two+black+tassels&source=web&ots=9DR5rQfXCq&sig=8Y2W5uyRiZs-kivJSxYJT9kbhk4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA20,M1