Ian Mclaren
Respected farmer and keen winter sports enthusiast
Ian Mclaren, farmer. Born: 13 March, 1949 in Dundee. Died: 5 February 2021 in Coupar, aged 71
Alove of family, farming and friendship were the driving forces that prevailed throughout the life of Ian Mclaren.
It was a very fitting tribute, therefore, that his sons shared the driving of the massey fergusontractor their father had used regularly to feed the cattle, for his final journey from Cronan to Kettins Church.
He spent the first 50 years of his life at Fintalich Farm, near Crieff, where he farmed in partnership with his cousins Stuart and Jim. He was educated at Morrison’s Academy before attending agricultural college in Edinburgh.
After a romance kindled via Young Farmers, he married Heather Livingston in 1972 and the couple had three sons – John, Michael and Peter.
Ian and heather moved toc ron an in 1998 and shortly after that the original farming partnership was restructured, with Ian and his immediate family driving the business forward and successfully growing their livestock and arable enterprises.
As well as his family and business commitments, he devoted a lot of time to organisations and activities within the local and wider community. He was an Elder in mu th ill parish church, and an Elder and the Session Clerk in Kettins Church.
He was a past Chairman of Strathearn JAC and was very involved in NFU Scotland, having been chairman at branch level and national cereals committee convenor. he also served on the Home Grown Cereals Authority for nine years and was a board member of the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Dundee, now known as the James Hutton Institute.
He was also a keen winter sports enthusiast and a lifelong member of Drummond Castle Curling Club. He served on the Board of Perth Ice Rink as a Director for over 40 years, including seven as Chairman.
A love of curling also took him to Canada in 2003 as part of a highly successful Royal Caledonian Curling Club tour. He was always keen on travel, particularly gleaning ideas by seeing at first hand the different technologies and innovations being employed by farmers around the globe. He and Heather enjoyed many agriculturaltours overseas including to Australia, Russia and the USA.
On both the livestock and arable sides of the family enterprise, Ian had a strong interest in analysing performance data and was continuously looking for ways to innovate and improve the farm business. this included a recent major investment in eco-friendly energy provision via the installation of solar panels to provide electricity for broccoli and potato cold stores.
His business acumen was underpinned by his friendly, direct manner along with his determination and focus – also in evidence while curling and in conversation. He also shared the Mclaren trait of wasting no time while walking and a tendency to leave companions struggling to keep up!
He liked to remain connected to the consumers of his produce and could regularly be found in deep discussion about broccoli and potato prices, with the manager of his local supermarket.
Ian was devoted to Heather, immensely proud of his family and liked spending time with his grandchildren, his sister Morag, and many cousins, nephews and nieces.
Improving the efficiency and output of agriculture and enhancing worldwide food security will be the focus at a new multi-million pound agri-tech hub outside Edinburgh.
The £74 million investmentintheeasterbushagritech Hub promises to see world-leadingresearchand technology used to identify solutions for global future food systems and to help move the sector towards a net zero carbon future.
Researchers at the virtual hubwillapplytheuseofdata to develop genetics and health innovations in the agriscience and agribusiness arena by bringing together researchers from the University of Edinburgh and other higher education institutions, along with commercial, public and third sector organisations.
The funding, from UK and Scottish governments and the University of Edinburgh, will be used to engage with existing and emerging areas of innovation such as data-driven breeding and aquaculture aimed at improving the agriculture industry worldwide.
Based at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies’ Easter Bush Campus near Roslin,
Midlothian, the hub aims to develop world-leading research capability in data science by keying into Europe’s largest concentration of animal science research expertise which already exists on the site.
“This is a very exciting time for agriscience, with transformative technology and data sharing opening up new approaches for fair and inclusive growth,” said Professor Bruce Whitelaw of the Roslin Institute.
Iain Stewart, UK government minister for Scotland, added it would will boost Scotland’s agri-food and drink industries.