Bishop Taylor was born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, on 5th May 1926. He was baptised in St. Mary's church and attended St. Cuthbert's primary school, Burnbank, before going to St. Aloysius' College, Glasgow, and later Our lady's High School, Motherwell.

He studied philosophy at Blairs College, Aberdeen from 1942 to 1944 and then served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, at home, in India and in Egypt. He was at the Pontifical Scots College, Rome, from 1947 to 1951, studying theology at the Gregorian University and being ordained a priest in Rome on 2nd July, 1950.

After a year as assistant priest in St. Bartholomew's, Coatbridge, he returned to Rome in 1952 where he took hi doctorate in theology in 1954. Another year as assistant priest followed, this time at St. Bernadette's, Motherwell, before he was appointed to the staff of St. Peter's College, Cardross in August 1955. He spent the next ten years there, teaching philosophy and, later, theology; for six years he was editor of St. Peter's College Magazine.

From 1965 until 1974 he was rector of the Royal Scots College, Valladolid, Spain. To mark the bi-centenary of the re-establishment of the college in 1771, he published The Scots College in Spain in 1971 and the same year was named honary prelate to the Holy Father. On his return to this country in 1974, he was appointed parish priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, East Kilbride, a position he held until his elevation to bishop.

He was ordained Bishop of Galloway by the late Cardinal Gray at Fatima House, Coodham on 9th June 1981.