John was born in 1879, the son of Neil MacKillop and Marion MacLeod of Quay, later 11 Borve.

John had a daughter, Christina, with Marion Ferguson of 16 Borve. By 1910 he was working as a fisherman, and married Marion Shaw of 13 Ruisgarry (Sunhill), which is where they lived. Marion died of tuberculosis just two years later, leaving John a widower with the care of their two baby daughters, Catherine and Marion.

On 22nd January 1918, John married Peggy Munro of 10 Borve, with whom he had three children, Roderick, Neil and Ann, also gaining a step-daughter, Rachel Munro, who took his surname. John worked as a farm labourer until 11 Borve was passed to him following his father's death in 1928. 

John's son Roderick made a recording for the School of Scottish Studies sound archive, in which he recalled his father's quizzing of the bridegroom at betrothals (Gaelic: rèitich). The recording is available here on the Tobar an Dualchais website.