Charlie Allan

Born: August 19, 1939;

Died: December 13, 2023

Charlie Allan, who has died aged 84, contributed the popular Farmer’s Diary column to The Herald for 20 years. An incredibly talented individual, he excelled in a diverse range of activities; he was a top Highland Games athlete and all-round sportsman, an academic, farmer, author, bothy ballad singer, composer and entertainer, publisher, broadcaster and champion of Doric.

A World Caber Tossing Championship winner, he was also capable, despite his bulk, of a very decent high jump often in his kilt to the delight and amusement of spectators. Although this suggested an element of showmanship, his commitment to his many interests was wholehearted. A convivial and entertaining character, his presence lit up many occasions.

Charles Maitland Allan was born to parents John R Allan and Jean nee Mackie in Stirling. His father was a well-known journalist and author who wrote A Farmers’ Boy, an outstanding memoir, while his mother was a teacher. She was the daughter of Maitland Mackie, a leading Aberdeenshire farmer and businessman.

In wartime with his father away on service and his mother working, Charlie moved around in his early days including a period living with maternal grandparents on their farm in Aberdeenshire, which was influential in his upbringing. Once war finished his family settled into their farm, Little Ardo at Methlick, the fifth family generation in it.

His parents were advocates of progressive education, which prohibited corporal punishment and favoured a more flexible approach to learning. Charlie attended a boarding school at Culter, Aberdeen before going to his mother’s own private school in the city. By then a glimpse had been caught of developing talents with Charlie aged 10 having sung a bothy ballad on BBC’s Childrens Hour and a few years later won £4 at the New Deer Sports in various events.

For secondary education he boarded at Dartington Hall, Devon, where he enjoyed its informal atmosphere, football, cricket and occasional local ale.

His football talent led to being invited to train for a month with Aberdeen at Pittodrie and thereafter being offered terms with a Highland League club. Instead he opted to play junior football before studying economics at Aberdeen University.

He combined studies successfully with pursuing sporting interests as captain of the basketball team, a member of the cricket 1st XI and occasionally pack leader for the rugby 1st XV. Despite only taking up the sport late, he was soon established in the team, his highlight a win over a powerful London Scottish XV containing several internationalists.

Charlie also shone at athletics, regularly winning prizes in throwing and jumping events. And academically he also shone, graduating with a first class honours degree.

By then he had begun competing in Highland Games using the pseudonym Ivor Smith, to protect his amateur status, as Games which awarded cash prizes then were deemed professional. After a couple of years, Charlie committed to the Games, reverting to his own name.

Over 17 years he was a leading light on the circuit, becoming a top heavyweight athlete who, tongue in cheek, referred to himself as Charles the Third, given the dominance of all-time greats Bill Anderson and Arthur Rowe. When younger he was also an accomplished jumper and was proud of having won the prestigious Chieftain’s Challenge Cup at Aboyne Games, for the best all rounder at light and heavy events.

Another major success was winning the World Caber Tossing Championship at Aberdeen Highland Games in 1972 while he was runner-up in 1973 at Geelong, Australia.

Other highlights included being part of an eight-week Games Exhibition event in the Bahamas, and taking part in Highland Games in San Francisco and Tokyo, where his caber narrowly missed the pipe band. He also wrote an informative short book on the Games.

Professionally he held lecturing posts in economics at Glasgow, St Andrews and Strathclyde universities, contributing papers to academic journals and wrote a book on taxation prior to taking over Little Ardo, the sixth generation to farm there, in the mid 70s. He undertook updating and modernisation of equipment and methods as well as having success rearing foreign cattle, especially Simmentals, winning the Supreme Championship at Perth Bull Sales.

That led to broadcasting work with Radio Scotland and Radio Four, presenting Scottish Farming News and Farming Today programmes, later acquiring north east magazine, Leopard. After a three year sabbatical in Kenya accompanying wife Fiona in her computer analysis work, he continued farming till 1997 when daughter Sarah and husband Neil took over Little Ardo.

He ran two marathons in the 1980s while a decade later he turned to cycling which he loved and despite his heavy build, succeeded in covering 100 miles in 4½ hours on a charity ride, aged 59. He was instrumental in setting up Methlick Cricket Club in its attractive ground, which he jokingly called Laird’s, now an excellent community asset. Another interest was bothy ballads which he enjoyed composing and singing in various locations, sharing his enthusiasm for the use of Doric.

At Aberdeen University sports ground, Charlie met Fiona Vine, then a junior lecturer and good athlete herself. They married in February 1961 and enjoyed a long, happy marriage during which they had Sarah, John, Jay and Susan. Fiona warmly supported Charlie unreservedly in all his activities. He is survived by her, their children, ten grandchildren and four great grandchildren.