Farming stalwart Jim McLaren awarded the MBE

One of the most wellknown faces in Scottish agriculture has been made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Farmer Jim McLaren is currently chairman of red meat promotional body Quality Meat Scotland.

The 49-year-old previously served as president of farmers’ union NFU Scotland and he currently holds a number of other prominent positions in the sector.

These include being a director of rural insurer NFU Mutual and Montrosebased farmers’ co-operative Angus Cereals.

He previously served on the board of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and in November 2015 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the organisation for his “outstanding contributions to Scottish agriculture and the rural economy”.

He is also a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies.

In recent years Mr McLaren led a project to create a memorial, which is now situated in Moray, to pay tribute to the work of the Land Girls who helped feed the nation by working on farms during World War II.

Mr McLaren, from Perthshire, said he was surprised and delighted to be made an MBE.

He said: “It has been a huge privilege for me to have worked in, and for, the Scottish agricultural industry in the various roles I have undertaken to date. “I am immensely proud of our industry and particularly of the people, the length and breadth of our country, who dedicate their lives to producing safe, nutritious food in a way which enriches Scotland’s environment.

Mr McLaren is married to Shona and has two sons, two daughters and two step-daughters.

Jim McLaren