Stockmaster and Fife farmer Willie McGowan MBE has died aged 93.
Born and brought up at Blackness, Linlithgow, his first move was to Wheatlands at Kirkliston in the late 1930s.
In 1944 he moved to Fingask at Dairsie where he and his new wife Jean were to settle and bring up their family.
Mr McGowan’s abiding interest had always been in pedigree stock and he wasted no time in setting up the Fingask Suffolk flock in 1945.
A year later he had laid the foundations of a pedigree Shorthorn herd with heifers bought from north east Scotland and the bull Saltoun Red Ensign which he bought in conjunction with his brother, Jim.
The highlight of his showing career with the Shorthorns was a Royal Show in the 1960s, when he produced not only the champion and reserve champion females but also the reserve male champion. Then in 1985, he exhibited the Royal Highland Show breed champion.
As regards his Suffolk sheep, he concentrated on breeding commercially sound rams many of which he sold at the annual Kelso Ram sales.
His contribution to the Suffolk breed was recognised in 2005 with an honorary life membership of the breed society.
Mr McGowan also held honorary vice presidencies of The Suffolk Sheep Society and the Shorthorn Cattle Society.
Mr McGowan’s MBE was awarded in 1997 for services to agriculture in Fife.
In a sad twist of fate, he died only three days before this year’s Fife Show, which took place on Saturday. He was a stalwart of the event, never missing a year as an exhibitor and also serving a term as show society president.
Mr McGowan’s funeral will be held on Wednesday at Dairsie United Parish Church at 11am.