Obituary
Dr Farquhar Macintosh

Born 27 October 1923
Died 18 November 2007

The Council of the Society were very sad to lose one of their longstanding active members. Farquhar Macintosh CBE was a crofter’s son from Elgol in the Isle of Skye who over the past fifty years became one of the great public servants in Scotland. He had a wide range of interests and his contribution to various public causes was significant. He was Rector of three schools in Scotland; Portree High School, Oban High School and latterly the Royal High School of Edinburgh where he was Rector from 1972 to 1989.

He introduced the concept of leisure activities into the curriculum and former pupils still talk fondly of its effect on their lives. He was the first of a new kind of school leader in Scotland who wanted to change the experience of pupils and was not afraid of curricular reform.

As Chairman of the Scottish Education Board he managed the introduction of the Standard Grade examinations through secondary schools in Scotland.

His honorary doctorate from Heriot Watt University was in part, a recognition of his attempt to revolutionise the upper school curriculum, but it was also an acknowledgement of his fresh thinking on Scottish education.

He was always aware of his roots in Skye, in the Gaelic language and in the culture and life of the Highlands and Islands. For 17 years (1965 to 1982) he served on the Highlands and Islands Development Consultative Council and was Convenor of its Education Sub-Committee.

His interest in higher education and the Gaelic language came together in the chairing of the Board of Trustees of Sabhal Mor Ostaig (SMO) the Gaelic college in Skye. SMO became his great interest over the past sixteen years and he takes great credit for the educational revolution that has been effected from the south of Skye.

Over the past 20 years Farquhar Macintosh has been regarded quite rightly as the elder statesman of the Gaelic world. He believed survival of the language relied heavily on the progress of Gaelic medium education. He was convinced Gaelic schools would have to appear in the traditional heartlands and especially in the islands. He gave leadership and vision to the Gaelic world which will be seriously and sorely missed.

A service of thanksgiving was held at St Giles Cathedral on Sunday 2 December 2007.

In the success of Sabhal Mor Ostaig Farquhar witnessed what he saw as the two important strands of the regeneration of his language and culture; education excellence allied to economic development. During his latter years when ill health caused him marginally to reduce his workload, he turned his thoughts to ensuring his ongoing support for this process. In consultation with his family he asked that a scholarship fund be set up after his death to provide for future student scholarships with Sabhal Mor Ostaig and, in his final days, he arranged an initial bequest towards this.

Sabhal Mor Ostaig Development Trust is now honoured, along with the family, to set in place “The Farquhar Macintosh Gaelic Scholarship” as a named endowment fund for the benefit of future students and the language.

Following his death a large sum was raised and the trustees are continuing to seek contributions to the fund so that within five years they can make a substantial award to suitably deserving students. In the meantime, they have agreed to award an annual prize to a Gaelic student at Sabhal Mor for “academic excellence”, something of which Farquhar would have greatly approved. This has happened over the last three academic years and has comprised a monetary aware along with a silver plate. They intend to continue this prize as well as awarding the scholarship when they get to that stage. At present the family are considering possible criteria for the scholarship and it is likely that it will include financial need amongst other things. Farquhar himself was very conscious of how much he depended on financial support of this kind when he was pursuing his own education. In addition a member of the family will be invited to sit on the Development Trust with a particular responsibility for the scholarship fund.

The current financial climate does not help the fund to grow but doubtless this will improve as time goes on. In the meantime the trustees are exploring a number of ways to add to the capital.

Anyone who would like to contribute towards the fund should contact the Society’s Secretary for further details.

DINNER FUNCTION

BORTHWICK CASTLE

17 MARCH 2007

After a number of years of holding the biennial buffet function for the Society at The Royal College of Surgeons a change was suggested for 2007 and the Council opted for holding it at Borthwick Castle, North Middleton, Midlothian.

Over fifty members and guests attended a most successful function.

Many guests opted to stay overnight in the Castle which had ten bedrooms.

Borthwick Castle is a twin towered baronial keep built by the first Lord Borthwick in 1430. It was to this Castle in 1657 that Mary Queen of Scots and her third husband, The Earl of Bothwell, fled from Edinburgh to seek sanctuary in this impregnable fortress. It was here that she and Bothwell spent their final days of freedom before being separated forever.

Nearly a century later it was besieged by the forces of Oliver Cromwell and the Castle walls still bear the scars caused by the bombardment of Cromwell’s cannon.

Prior to the dinner the Society held its inaugural piping competition and although the member Clan Chiefs had all been invited to attend and bring their pipers with them, unfortunately none were able to take part.

Stewart Morris of Balgonie, Younger brought his piper John Winton whilst D W Paisley of Westerlea entered his piper Robert Gibb. David Waterton Anderson of Kinneddar put himself forward as a candidate for the honour of the Anderson Association for which he serves as chairman.

Pre dinner drinks were served in the State Room where the three pipers performed their repertoire for the assembled guests.

It was up to the guests to choose their favourite based not just on technical ability but on dress, tunes, tunefulness, entertainment value and swagger!

The victor was Robert Gibb who was presented with a certificate and prize of £100 by Major A C S Macpherson Younger of Biallid.

The President, Sir Ian Noble, welcomed members and guests and the Treasurer and Secretary gave a brief outline on the Society’s progress including the new website and promoted the Society’s cufflinks and button badges as well as the new member’s certificates which will be available soon.

A plea was made for new members as numbers have been dwindling for a number of years.

The company then enjoyed an excellent meal including roast leg of local lamb and some excellent wine in the sumptious setting of the candlelit Great Hall.

Following the meal the winning piper Robert Gibb played a Pibroch following which we were entertained by former Mod winners Mr and Mrs Roddy Macdonald.

It was a most entertaining evening enjoyed by all.

THE ROYAL CELTIC SOCIETY

AGM LUNCH

WEMYSS HOUSE

15 MAY 2010

After many years of holding a biennial evening buffet function for the Society at the Royal College of Surgeons and latterly at Borthwick Castle a change was suggested for 2010 and the AGM was combined with a lunch held at the National Trust for Scotland premises at Wemyss House, 28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh.

Approximately 25 members and guests attended and enjoyed an excellent lunch in the premises which were due to close later in the year.

After the lunch members were treated to a guided tour of the National Trust Private Collection in the gallery upstairs by ex-Chief of Police Peter Westbrook.

OBITUARY
Sir Iain Noble Bt

Born 8 September 1935
Died 25 December 2010

Sir Iain Noble whose formal title was Third Baronet of Ardkinglas and Eilean Iarmain, was a major landowner on the Isle of Skye, a banker and businessman, a hotelier and distillery owner and a passionate activist on behalf of the Gaelic language. We were honoured to have him as an active Honorary President of the Royal Celtic Society.

He famously courted controversy by admitting he was a “racialist” in that he wanted to preserve the genetic purity of Skye by discouraging incomers from England. “I don’t have any English blood in my veins, a thing which I am inordinately proud of”, he told a conference in 2003.

Born in Berlin where his father was a diplomat he inherited the Baronetcy after his father’s death in 1987.

He had most of his education in Buenos Aires after his father was posted to Argentina, returning to the UK to attend Eton and then University College Oxford.

In 1969 he cofounded the Merchant Bank Noble Grossart in Edinburgh - it later became The Noble Group. When he was bought out in 1972 he bought the 23,000 acre Elean Iarmain Estate on Skye where he also purchased the Eilean Iarmain Hotel, now a popular, upmarket romantic getaway for couples from around the world and where Gaelic is the first language. He also founded, in 1976, the “Gaelic Whisky Company” which produces the award winning malt Poit Dhubh and the blends Te Bheag and MacNaMara.

In all his ventures Sir Iain practiced “positive discrimination” on behalf of Gaelic speakers and encouraged his staff to learn the language including a Polish woman who is manager of his hotel.

Sir Iain was a former Trustee of the National Museums of Scotland and as well as being President of the Royal Celtic Society he was a past President of the Saltire Society.

For the past ten years, after his retirement, he was Chairman and Chief Executive of Sir Iain Noble and Partners, Financial Advisers, Edinburgh.

Iain Noble was appointed OBE in 1988. He died peacefully at his home in Isle Ornsay, Skye on Christmas Day 2010 and is survived by his wife of 20 years, Lucilla, Lady Noble.

More than 300 people fought their way through blizzards to attend his funeral where Sir Iain was buried in a private grave at his estate on the Island. Before the internment a largely Gaelic funeral service was held at Sabhal Mor Ostaig which he had founded in 1972.

A memorial service was held at a packed Greyfriars Kirk on 8 April 2011.