The chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has been made a Commander of the British Empire in recognition of his contribution to economic and community development in Scotland.
Professor Lorne Crerar, 64, has been chairman of HIE since 2012 and a board member since 2008.
Mr Crerar is also co-founder and chairman of Harper Macleod, an independent law firm with offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Lerwick and Thurso.
Mr Crerar said of his honour: “I see this award as a huge testament to the great work carried out by Highlands and Islands Enterprise across our large region, stimulating economic opportunity and helping communities meet their potential.”
Mr Crerar was born in Renfrew and was educated at Kelvinside Academy in Glasgow and went on to study law at Glasgow University.
He joined Ross Harper & Murphy law firm in 1986 and in 1988 co-founded Harpers law firm with Rod McKenzie.
This later became Harper Macleod LLP.
He was professor of Banking Law at Glasgow University’s School of law from 1997-2015, publishing The Law of Banking in Scotland in 1997, followed by a second edition ten years later.
He currently sits on the advisory board for the Review of Legal Services in Scotland
Between 2003-5 Mr Crerar was convener of the Standards Commission for Scotland, and chaired a far-reaching independent review into the systems of external scrutiny for Scotland’s public services.
He was formerly Deputy Chairman of Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and one of three chairmen of the Housing Improvement Task Force, with his group completing their work in 2002.
He was appointed co-chairman of the National Council of Rural Advisors two years ago.
Mr Crerar spends much of his time in Wester Ross, thanks to a family connection with the area stretching back more than a century.
Mr Crerar also has a lifelong passion for rugby, representing Scotland at under-21 level.
However injury forced his retirement aged 20, although he continued to be involved with the game as a club-level match referee.
He has chaired independent disciplinary panels for the Six Nations Championship, European Rugby Cup and the Scottish Rugby Union, officiating at four Rugby World Cups.
He was also a judicial officer during the finals of the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups and at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.