Mull stalwart Ronnie is honoured by the NFUS

MULL crofter Ronnie Campbell was presented with the NFU Scotland Argyll and the Islands Stalwart award at the branch meeting this week.

The award was created in 2016 in recognition and memory of the dedication shown by Mull’s Bert Leitch and Lachlan MacLean. Bert and Lachlan, who represented NFU Scotland’s farmers and crofters regionally and nationally, died in 2015.

The award is presented annually to either a member who has given their time and effort to the work of the union in Argyll and the islands or someone who has made a significant contribution to agriculture in the area.

The inaugural winner in 2017 was well-known Argyllshire hill farmer Sybil MacPherson.

Ronnie was announced as the 2018 winner at the region’s AGM in January but was unable to travel to the event.

Sheila brought a minute book of the south-west Mull branch of NFU Scotland to the presentation, which showed that Ronnie was first elected on to the NFU committee in 1966 and has gone on to give more than 50 years of service to NFU Scotland.

Ronnie, who runs a at Uisken with Sheila, croft continuously represented Mull and crofters on the union’s Crofting Highlands and Islands committee and is a past vice-chairman of the group. He also represented NFU Scotland on the industry’s liaison group with CalMac as well as being a Crofting Commission assessor, a special constable and a Forestry Commission ranger and stalker.

Presenting the trophy to Ronnie were regional board chairman John Dickson from Bute, Mull branch chairman Tom Corbett, left, and Mull regional board representative Jim Corbett, right. Ronnie was joined by his wife Sheila.