ONE OF Scotland's leading cattle breeders and the most recent recipient of the RHASS 'excellence' prize, the Sir William Young Award, Alasdair Houston, passed away this week at the age of just 59.

Well respected as a breeder of Simmental, Charolais and Aberdeen-Angus cattle – his stock led some of the bigger breed sales for those latter two breeds during the spring sales – Alasdair was also well-known as head of the family business which ran extensive tourism and hospitality enterprises centred around the Blacksmith's Shop at Gretna Green, famous for its wedding ceremonies.

He was also a deputy Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries-shire and a past chairman and member of the British Charolais Cattle Society's council. The BCCS current chairman, Ben Harman, said this week: "Alasdair had an immediate and positive impact when he joined our council. He was a popular and highly engaged member, always ready to provide advice, enthusiasm and perspective on any issue.

"He had a great eye for stock as we could all see from the last sale at Carlisle in May and many other sales too numerous to mention and was asked to judge at several shows and sales.

“Alasdair’s successes in the show and sale ring are well documented, he had a deep knowledge of cattle breeding and understood the value of pedigrees and performance recording like no other. This was surpassed only by his thoughtfulness and deep understanding of the human condition which afforded him success in all walks of life," he added.

"He will be sorely missed for the value he delivered to the British Charolais Society and for the friendship and kindness he showed to all. We are all diminished by his passing.”

Many condolences have been left on social media, with the over-abiding sentiment that he was a true gentleman in all senses of that phrase. He leaves behind his wife, Lucy, and children, Tara and Rafe.