Tribute has been paid to Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Fife, Sir John Gilmour, who has died suddenly in Cupar after a short illness.
Sir John (68), of Balcormo, near Cupar, was the son of the late North East Fife MP Sir John Edward Gilmour of Lundin and Montrave and Ursula Mabyn Wills.
Educated at Eton College, Berkshire, and the North of Scotland College of Agriculture, he married Valerie Jardine Russell, daughter of George Walker Russell, on May 6, 1967.
Commissioned on May 26, 1966 as a Second Lieutenant into the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse, Sir John became the fourth generation of his family to serve in this regiment.
Rising to captain, he saw the regiment turned into a cadre with its armoured vehicles removed and its pay stopped. This continued until he finished his service as a captain when his regiment was put into suspended animation.
In 1992 his regiment was reactivated and in 1999 Sir John gained the rank of Honorary Colonel of The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse Squadron of The Queen’s Own Yeomanry.
Sir John held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Fife since 1988. He also held the title fourth Baronet of Lundin and Montrave.
The family farm was split between Sir John and his brother Andrew. A mixed farm with crops, arable and cattle, he latterly diversified into a 120-acre venison operation.
More recently he gave more time to stewarding at race meetings.
A member of the Jockey Club, the Royal Company of Archers and the Caledonian Hunt Club, he was also a director of the Moredum Research Institute and involved with the Equine Grass Sickness Fund.
He built, ran and controlled the Point to Point race course, held annually at Balcormo. He was also Master of Fife Foxhounds for 30 years and hunted the pack for 12 of those years.
He loved his horses, his family and the TA. He also loved fast cars and always had a Porsche.
He is survived by his wife and four grown-up children Nicholas, Patrick, Corinna and Juliet and eight grandchildren.
Mrs Margaret Dean, Lord Lieutenant of Fife, said: “In addition to his huge contribution to community and national life, Sir John Gilmour, as a Deputy Lieutenant and then, more particularly, as Vice-Lord Lieutenant in Fife, has been a great support to me personally and to the lieutenancy in general; generous with his time and experienced advice, following a great family tradition.”