The popular Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire has been made a Commander of the Victorian Order as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Clare Russell, 72, was in London yesterday when she was told the news.
Mrs Russell is the current Lady Laird of Ballindalloch Castle on Speyside, where she lives, and she has fulfilled the Lord Lieutenant’s role since 2002.
During that time, she has attended community events on behalf of the Queen and has become a recognisable face to residents across the region.
In 2008, she even led a campaign to have road signs reinstated to mark the region’s historic boundaries.
Mrs Russell inherited the family home in 1983 following the death of her father, Sir Ewan George Macpherson-Grant.
She was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for Banffshire in 1991, before becoming Vice Lord Lieutenant in 1998.
She assumed the post of Lord Lieutenant upon the death of James McPherson.
Away from her royal duties, Mrs Russell is also a published author and has penned two cookery books.
Aberdeen University has previously honoured her work with an honorary degree.
