Shirley Spear grew up in Edinburgh. She began a career in journalism in Dundee, later moving to London where she met her husband-to-be, Eddie Spear. Together they opened a restaurant on the Isle of Skye, The Three Chimneys, which has gone on to gain world-wide acclaim, was rated in the top 50 restaurants in the world and one of only two restaurants in Scotland to be awarded a Michelin star. Shirley and Eddie now divide their time between the Isle of Skye and a home in North Berwick, East Lothian.