21 guns to salute Alec
A 21-gun salute was made in memory of a former Crieff resident in what would have been his 60th year in the professional world of shooting.
In an unprecedented gesture of respect, 45 guests from the shooting world assembled at a memorial tribute lunch in honour of the late Alexander ‘Alec’ Kerr, who died in 2015 at the age of 83.
Born in Lanarkshire and shooting since a boy, Alec was to become a fine game shot and international competition clay pigeon shot for Scotland. He was also the country’s leading supplier of machine loaded shotgun cartridges.
From the original base in Hamilton, the various Kerr retail outlets continued until closure of the company’s last shop at Crieff.
Alec was particularly renowned nationally and internationally in the art of hand loading cartridges and was in his loading room until the day before he died, just weeks before he would have entered his sixth decade in the industry.
A larger-than-life character, Alec’s visitors were a cross section from all walks of life and he was as much respected for his “treat everyone the same, no matter their background” character as he was for his shooting.
In the eulogy at Alec’s funeral service, Alberto ‘Bertie’ de Cecco – chairman of the eponymous tiling company and speaking on behalf of the shooting circle – referred to Alec’ as a “colossus”.
To mark what would have been Alec’s 60th year in his profession, guests came together at the tribute lunch in St Fillans.
Afterwards, guns were assembled from Alec’s former loading room.
They were led in parade by Donald Noble, chief executive of Hopetoun Estates, on the pipes to mark the bookends of Alec’s extraordinarily long career.
Ian Dalton of Hamilton fired first, then Richard Graham, chairman of St Fillan’s Community Council.
The 20th shot was made by Alec’s long-time friend Alistair Work, of Drummond Estates, and firing the 21st and last shot in memory of his late father was his eldest son David.
The salute guns included one of Alec’s own former guns, with cartridges that had been specially-loaded containing Alec’s ashes.