The former Lochs and Aths man broke striker's and manager's hearts throughout the islands in a long, dominant spell at the pinnacle of the local game.
A title winner in Stornoway with Aths, an Eilean an Fhraoich Cup winner with Lochs and first choice for the Lewis and Harris Select in epic ties against Celtic Boys Club, Hibs, Morton and Inverness Caley only tells half the story of one of the island's best goalkeepers.
He said of his heyday: "Some of my favourite football memories came from playing with the Lewis Select. More often than not I would be named as Man of the Match, but that was probably because I saw more of the ball than anyone else with us under so much pressure.
"I am a big Hibs fan so to line up against Hibs was amazing for me. It was brilliant to play against them and also against an idol of mine in Alan Rough. That was probably the highlight for me and it doesn't get much better than playing against the team you support.
"I remember being in the Seaforth after the match having a few beers at the bar with Yashin and Rough. That was excellent and we had his wife on the carry-out home. I better explain that - at the time his wife was a model and her picture was on the side of the Tennents Lager cans!"
Ruaraidh's island football career began several years previously as a fresh-faced schoolboy, when he was drafted into the Stornoway Athletic set-up at the tender age of just 15.
"I started playing in 1979 for Aths. My uncle Kenny Dougie was manager at the time and as myself and my brother Gordon were staying at the hostel so we began playing for him and Aths," Ruaraidh recalled.
"There were guys like Davie Moat, Robbie Moat, Leslie Robertson and Tom Mackenzie in the team and if my memory serves me right, we played the West Side in my first game.
"During the week I was playing senior football with Aths, but I was also playing with the U16s and the U18s. My first cup final was the Under 18 Autumn Cup final which we reached, but lost to United. They had a great team at that time with Magnus and Murdo Johnson, who would later become team mates of mine at United," he continued.
His imperious form in Stornoway quickly brought him to Leurbost and Lochs FC, yet during his time in Maroon he admits the fight to be number one was fierce.
"Lochs were overloaded with goalies at this time with myself, 'Yashin', Murdo 'Atch' and Calum Murdo Mackenzie. Competition was very stiff and that is why I left Lochs after a couple of seasons and went back to Aths.
"I loved playing with Lochs and I recall one night when we were playing in Harris. I noticed a lot of very meaty challenges flying in. It was really physical game and I couldn't understand what was happening.
"I asked Iain David Mackenzie why it was so rough and he told me that some of the team had been poaching in Harris that week and the Hearachs had taken offence to this. It was all sorted and forgotten about after the match as we had a do," laughed Ruaraidh.
"We actually had four sets of brothers in the squad at that time. My brother Gordon and myself, Dan and Angie Macmillan, Sally and Don Maclennan and Angus and Donnie Simm. We won two Eilean an Fhraoich Cups and reached another final in my time with Lochs, but we were often the 'nearly team' in my time there giving Ness a good run but falling just short."
Ruaraidh rejoined Aths in 1987 in a move which almost paid instant dividends as the Stornoway club finished the League campaign as runners-up.
"We went one better a year later when we won the League on the last day of a dramatic season. It was a great feeling and I remember it really went to the wire," he added.
His natural agility, reflexes and upper body strength made Ruaraidh an instant island football great and his talent did not go unnoticed on the other side of the Minch where a spell with one-time holders of the European Cup almost bore some dramatic fruit.
Ruaraidh explained: "I went to Ipswich in 1983 to take part in a goalkeeping school with them. They had only recently won the European Cup and had Bobby Robson in charge.
"It was a week long course but they decided they wanted to sign a young goalkeeper so they kept five on for a further week and I made the final five. That was a great experience."
In addition to playing against Hibs and with Ipswich, Ruaraidh also played against Morton, Inverness Caley and Rangers. The game against Rangers was for Lochs, celebrating the club's 50th anniversary. In keeping with tradition the excellent Macrae was named Man of the Match that night and was presented with a tankard by then reserve coach John Haggart.
He revealed: "Rangers started at 100mph in that game and I remember hearing Angus 'Beattie' and Iain David Mackenzie moaning after a quarter of an hour that they were knackered and ready to come off."
In the high profile games against Hibs and Rangers, Ruaraidh had lined up alongside some of the island's top names, but he feels the best Select side he ever played with was the group who spent a weekend competing against Celtic Boys Club and a Stratchclyde Police team.
The Police side had just won the Scottish Amateur Cup so were obviously a very strong side, but the Select edged it 2 – 1. The very next day the Select took to the field to meet a Celtic Boys Club - packed with future stars including Derek Whyte and Gerry Crainey. The Select won for the second day running and both games hold cherished memories for the goalkeeper.
A cruciate ligament injury in a 1994 Cup Final brought the curtain down prematurely on his playing career, but the Macrae goalkeeping legacy did not die there as three of Ruaraidh's nephews are current island goalkeepers, although they all have big gloves to fill.
"My nephew Gordon Macrae is currently with Lochs and was with Carloway before that; James Macrae has been with Lochs and the West Side and the youngest, Duncan Macrae, is with Aths at Under 18 level," he revealed.
"When I was playing there were so many good goalies and there does seem to be a lack of them now. I think that Calum Murdo was the best five-a-side goalie I have ever seen. We would often play down at the Hangar and I remember some big scraps between himself and DJ McCarthy of Back."
Ruaraidh continued: "There were so many great players that it is impossible to fit them all into my team. Sweeney and Nero used to always seem to score against me and they were both excellent strikers but I always felt that I worked well with Magnus Johnson.
"We would often talk at half-time. One game where this worked particularly well was at half-time against Ness. We decided that I would kick it long and as soon as I went to kick it he would start running.
"It worked and he ran through to score from my assist and we won 1 – 0. We scored umpteen goals like that."