Industry stalwart and award-winning agricultural journalist Andrew Arbuckle has been made an MBE during a ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Andrew, 80, received the prestigious award from King Charles during a private investiture at the palace with his daughters Lydia and Elizabeth, and RSABI chief executive Carol McLaren.
As a trustee of the agricultural charity RSABI and now honorary vice-president, Andrew has raised more than £100,000 for the rural charity by producing three books (two with his late brother John) which take a light-hearted look at farming life.
Award-winning journalist
Brought up on a family farm in Fife, he has also made an exceptional contribution to the heritage and growth of community arts and sport in Fife, while being dedicated to local and national politics in Scotland.
In 2012, Andrew was awarded the Netherthorpe Award – the top UK award for agricultural journalism.
During his years as agricultural editor of The Courier and The Scotsman, his journalistic skills ranged from covering crisis situations such as Foot and Mouth and BSE, to numerous highly insightful commentary pieces.
£100,000 raised for RSABI
He was also director of Fife Growers co-operative from 1974 to 1977 and promoted the growing of field scale vegetables for the frozen market following the closure of the Cupar sugar beet factory.
In the 1970s, he served as a director of the Scottish Nuclear Stock Association established to promote the raspberry industry through the sales of healthy canes and in 1992, he was elected chairman of the Fife & Kinross area of NFU Scotland.
He also served on the NFUS legal committee at national level for seven years and was awarded the NFU Scotland Ambassador Award in 2023.
Four decades of service to politics from 1986 to May 2007
He chaired Newburgh Community Trust (NCT) during a period when in excess of £250,000 was raised to convert a former factory brown field site into Riverside Park and led the trust to successfully raise £60,000 to buy, and now run, the former town reservoir as an informal recreational park.
In 2006, Andrew chaired a committee of the Howe of Fife Rugby Club in Cupar and led efforts to raise over one million pounds to provide a Community Sports facility for the area.
More than £1m raised to provide sports facility in Cupar
In 2016 Mr Arbuckle was asked to chair the Tayport Community Trust and helped them to raise £2.5 million for a new Community Centre and a caravan park.
Carol McLaren of RSABI said: “As well as raising a fabulous amount for RSABI, Andrew has also raised the spirits of a great many people involved in Scottish agriculture.
“We are incredibly grateful to Andrew and proud of his achievements and we are delighted to see him receive this honour.”