A popular Angus farmer has died at the age of 88.
Alistair Skene, who farmed at Blackcraigs, Glenesk, featured in a television documentary, titled A year in the life of a shepherd, and was the Scottish wool producer of the year in 1994 and 1995 —the first time the honour had been won consecutively.
He played an important role in the glen community, as a member of the Glenesk pipe band, Tarfside drama group, Glenesk Farmers and Glenesk Dog Trials.
He was also well known throughout the county and further afield for playing the bagpipes at weddings, funerals, Burn suppers and other social events, including celebrating the New Year at RAF Edzell.
Born at 5 St Ninians Square in Brechin to Jim and Vine Skene, he was educated at Waterside Primary in Glenesk and then at Brechin High.
He attended Craibstone Agricultural College in Aberdeen, where he made lifelong friends, then spent time working on a dairy farm in Clackmannanshire before returning to work at Blackcraigs with his father and assist his uncle at Turnabrane, also in Glenesk.
He worked part time for the late Frank Mckay of Thorneyhill driving lorries, combining and baling as far south as Essex, where he was given the nickname “Bagpipe Jock”.
He took over farming from his father who had had an accident in 1953 and was unable to work due to his injuries.
Alistair met his future wife Meg through his sister Moira, who was courting Meg’s brother Chick.
The couple were married at Stracathro Parish Church in July 1959 and had five children – Susan, Val, Fraser, Mick and Jock.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Alistair joined the Masonic Lodge at Tarfside, Lodge St Andrew 282 at the age of 19, becoming a Master of the Lodge at the age of 25 – the youngest Master in Scotland at the time.
He was an elder of the Maul Memorial Church and a member of the Blackface sheep breeders association.
It was through his involvement with the National Farmers Union, as chairman of the Brechin branch, that his life and that of his family was documented by Bavarian film producer Margaret Wagner.
The Skenes were recorded over a period of a year for the TV documentary.
Pre-deceased by his wife in 1986, Mr Skene is survived by his five children, eight grand-children and three great grand-children.
His funeral will be held at the Maule Memorial Church, Tarfside, Glenesk on Tuesday August 20 at 1pm, followed by a burial at Lochlee Churchyard.
