James McIntosh was educated at Camphill School, Paisley, and Glasgow University. He worked as a teacher at Govan High School, Glasgow, and in Baghdad, Iraq (1956-58), and then as a teacher trainer at Moray House, Edinburgh before joining UNESCO in 1964. He was involved in setting up teacher training colleges in Ethiopia (1965-72), Afghanistan (1972-74), and Lesotho (1975-82), after which time he retired to Edinburgh. The papers relate to his involvement during his retirement with the Andrew Fletcher Society, and are comprised of incoming Andrew Fletcher Society correspondence, papers of the Fletcher Forum, minutes of executive council meetings, and membership and subscription records. The papers also include records relating to McIntosh's interests in Scottish history, language, poetry, and politics, including projects to promote the Saltire and Scottish identity at home and abroad.