King’s Birthday Honours: The 15 recipients from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

From a voluntary organist to a chess player and search and rescue heroes - here's who has been recognised across the north-east.

By Chris Cromar

June 14 2024, 10:30 pm

Ross Haggart will receive the King's Fire Service Medal and Rebecca Allen will be made BEM. Image: DC Thomson.

Several people from the north-east have been included on the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours list.

15 recipients from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have been recognised for their hard work and dedication to their field, including ‘Scotland’s King of Chess‘.

In addition to BEMs, MBEs and OBEs, this year the King’s Fire Service Medal will be awarded to Ross Haggart.

Ross Haggart standing in front of fire engine. — Ross Haggart is the chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson.

Ross was the most senior fire officer in attendance at the Stonehaven train crash in August 2020.

Here is the full list of King’s Birthday Honours 2024 recipients from the north-east:

Aberdeen

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Ian James Gourlay: For voluntary service to the community in Aberdeenshire
Dean Stott: For services to sport and to humanitarian and mental health awareness

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

Christina Emily Clunes, chairwoman of Catherine Street Community Centre: For services to the community in Aberdeen
Anne Margaret Milne, secretary and treasurer of Catherine Street Community Centre: For services to the community in Aberdeen

Aberdeenshire

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (Inverurie): For services to the fishing industry

Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Dr Gerald Edward Lobley (Kemnay): For services to chess in Scotland

Gerald Lobley has been teaching chess for the past 50 years. Image: Gerald Lobley.
Brian McCann, panel practice adviser at Aberdeenshire Children’s Hearing System (Fraserburgh): For services to children and to the children’s hearing system in Scotland
Diane Wood (Inverurie): For voluntary and charitable services in Scotland

Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

Rebecca Allen. secretary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) Scottish Council, committee member for Aberdeen and District Lifeboat Fundraising Branch, and lifeboat administration officer at Aberdeen Lifeboat Station (Stonehaven): For voluntary services to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)

Rebecca Allen (right) has been honoured. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.
Edna Margaret Edmond, voluntary organist (Banchory): For services to Skene Parish Church
Margaret Evelyn Edmond (Stonehaven): For voluntary and charitable services, particularly to the Red Cross
David William Fleming (Stonehaven): For services to the community in Stonehaven
Susan Jane Hunt, founder of North East Open Studios and honorary member of the Aberdeen Artists Society (Inverurie): For services to the arts and crafts
Colin Hugh Moir, volunteer coastguard rescue officer and lately deputy station officer at Stonehaven Coastguard (Stonehaven): For services to search and rescue
Jennifer Ann Smith (Huntly): For services to the community in Huntly