Perfect wines for Easter.

James Hardie Brown, who founded with his brother Ian the construction and civil engineering firm I& H Brown, one of the largest such businesses in Scotland, died on March 21 at St Margaret’s Community Hospital in Auchterarder. He was 90.

Mr Brown, known all his life as Hardie, was born in Dunfermline on September 6 1930, to Jennie and Davie Brown, a farmer.

Hardie grew up at Carnock Mill Farm with his older brother Ian, who died in 2015, and sister Betty.

He attended Dunfermline High School until leaving to help his brother on the farm.

In the 1950s, the brothers moved to Perthshire, where they bought Innergask Farm in the parish of Findo Gask.

Part of the land was covered by a concrete aerodrome and in the late 1950s Ian and Hardie decided to get rid of it.

To break it up they used a Traxcavator, which aroused interest in the neighbourhood, and they began renting out the machine.

This inspired their plant hire business and in 1964 they founded I& H Brown, in Perth, which in time would diversify into construction, mining, housebuilding and land remediation.

Eventually, the business extended to the acquisition and operating of Highland estates.

In addition, I& H Brown now owns some 4,000 acres in Fife, Perthshire and East Lothian, producing barley, wheat, potatoes, oilseed rape, and grasses. For some years, Hardie was chairman of Perth Show.

While civil engineering remains a core activity of I & H Brown, the company’s expertise in mining, and the skills involved with land remediation and reclamation, led to a prescient interest in the environment and a vision of what could be done with renewables.

The company developed wind farms at Calliachar and Toddleburn, along with new ways of engineering previously uncontrolled landfill sites.

Describing the company’s approach, Hardie once said: “We always looked for a second use.”

The Brown brothers were fascinated by machinery and Hardie often said the business was like a boyhood dream.

Hardie served as chairman of the Scottish Plant Owners Association.

He delighted in acquiring lorries and painting them in ever-brighter colours.

Hardie’s biggest interest in life remained I& H Brown. Even after semiretirement he would come into the office with his son in the mornings to open the mail.

But he was also a keen sportsman, car rallying, shooting and curling being his chief passions.

He was an active member of the 55 Car Club and was co-driver with his brother-in-law Bobby Crawford in the famed Monte Carlo rally, driving a Mini Cooper.

He travelled abroad to attend Formula One events, often with his brother-inlaw Tom Muir, who found him very outgoing.

“He could speak to anyone. I would love to have known both Hardie and Ian as young men – they must have been tremendous fun and so full of beans,” said Tom.

Hardie loved shooting all his life – in early years, a day out with neighbouring farmers, and latterly, at the family farm near Auchterarder.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown, a relative, was in awe of Hardie’s business acumen.

Speaking at Hardie’s funeral at Perth earlier this week (by proxy, due to Covid restrictions), Mr Brown extolled “the scale of his achievement – not one achievement but a record of continuous achievement in farming and in every sphere of business he entered… all singular successes one after another”.

Mr Brown quipped: “I have always thought that if any family member was to be Chancellor of the Exchequer, it should have been Hardie.

“I’m not sure he would have put up the tax on cigars, which he liked greatly, or wine.”

Hardie Brown married Betty Miller in 1955 and they had two children, Scott, born in 1957, and Shane Elizabeth, born in 1966. Hardie and Betty divorced in 1988.

He then married Carol Ann Muir, with whom he lived at Mid Fordoun Farm, Auchterarder.

In his later years, Hardie suffered from dementia.

He is survived by Carol, his son Scott, who now directs the family firm, and daughter Shane.

His sister, Betty Little, lives in Yorkshire. In addition, he is survived by two stepchildren, AnnMaree and Russell; four grandchildren, Abigail, Duncan, Edward and Michael; and a greatgranddaughter, Hallie.

James Hardie Brown had suffered from dementia.