Tribute to one of Moray’s leading businessmen Ian Urquhart CBE

Ian Urquhart CBE, who received a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Glasgow Caledonian University for his outstanding leadership, development and senior management of quality iconic Scottish products, has sadly passed away at the age of 76.

A Deputy Lieutenant of Moray, Ian was Chairman of Johnstons of Elgin, a Scottish company, established in 1797 and known for its high-end cashmere products, as well as past director of Food & Drink Scotland, and was heavily involved in the whisky industry as managing director of Gordon & MacPhail.

In recognition of his work with two of Moray’s foremost companies, Ian was made a CBE as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee honours list in 2022, alongside his brother Michael. The same year he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Glasgow Caledonian.

Laureator Fiona Stewart-Knight, the University’s Assistant Vice Principal Business Partnerships and Director of the Institute for University to Business Education (IU2BE), paid tribute to Ian.

Fiona Stewart-Knight said: “We remember Ian for his wonderful inquisitive spirit, thirst for knowledge and pioneering international business leadership during his 41 year tenure at Gordon & MacPhail.

“Ian also leaves a rich legacy at Johnstons of Elgin through his collaborative research and advocacy for documenting the social history of estate tweeds in Scotland and indeed their international footprint since 1797.

“Glasgow Caledonian University would like to convey sincere condolences to Ian’s wife Nichola, son Neil, daughter Jenny, sister Rosemary and brother Michael.”

After leaving school, Ian completed a two-year apprenticeship in Harrods’ wine department. He returned home to Elgin in 1966 to join his family business, Gordon & MacPhail, a whisky distiller, wine and spirit importer, and wholesaler with a retail outlet stocking the country’s rarest and finest Scotch whiskies.

In his 41 years with Gordon & MacPhail, he helped steer its international growth into a multi-million-pound operation. Ian was pivotal in developing the global whisky industry and was integral in bringing the traditional distillery Benromach back into production, leading to the creation of some of the finest malt whisky Speyside has to offer.

Throughout his career Ian successfully studied for a range of wine and spirit industry diplomas and, in the 1990s, decided to “keep up with the business buzz words” and successfully completed an MBA with the Open University. Ian retired from Gordon & MacPhail in 2007.

Since the 1970s, Ian was a Non-Executive Director of Johnstons of Elgin. While continuing in his role as a Non-Executive Director and President of Johnstons, which employs nearly 1,000 people, he now passed the baton of Chairman to his daughter Jenny.

Ian wrote two books - on the history of Johnstons of Elgin and on Scottish Estate Tweeds.

In his role as Deputy Lieutenant of Moray, Ian supported a number of local and national charities and organisations.