LORD Thurso, one of Scotland's most prominent land owners, has died.
He was 72.
He had been suffering from emphysema for some time. His condition
worsened ten days ago and the Liberal peer died at his Caithness home on
Saturday afternoon.
Lord Thurso's father was the late Sir Archibald Sinclair, Air Minister
in Sir Winston Churchill's wartime Cabinet and a former leader of the
Parliamentary Liberal Party.
Lord and Lady Thurso established a firm friendship with the Queen
Mother, who visited the Castle of Mey twice a year.
Lord Thurso's heir, the Hon John Sinclair, who runs the East Sussex
National Golf Course, was yesterday flying from France after being
notified of his father's death.
The Lord Lieutenant of Caithness, Lord Thurso controlled 50,000 acres
of sporting lands, farms, and crofts and was also a director of several
companies.
Lord Thurso, who was known locally as Robin Sinclair, also had
property interests and owned the Ulbster Arms sporting hotel in the
village of Halkirk, Caithness.
He was appointed the Queen's representative in 1973 and would welcome
the royal family as it disembarked annually at Scrabster harbour for a
visit to the Queen Mother at the Castle of Mey.
He had already organised arrangements for next week's VE Day
celebrations in Caithness, and was looking forward to welcoming visitors
from Thurso's twin town, Brilon, in Germany.
Lord Thurso was educated at Eton, New College, Oxford, and Edinburgh
University and had been active in the House of Lords where he had been
the Liberal spokesman on aerospace, agriculture, energy, and Scottish
affairs from 1983-88.
He was the founder and first chairman of Caithness Glass in Wick and
he served as a councillor for Thurso burgh and Caithness county from
1949 until the early 1970s.
He unsuccessfully fought East Aberdeenshire as a Liberal in 1966. He
inherited the title as the second viscount in 1970.
Lord Thurso served in the Royal Air Force in the Second World War as a
flight lieutenant, mainly on reconnaissance duties.
Over the years, he held many voluntary offices, including president of
the North Country Cheviot Sheep Society, president of the Association of
Scottish District Salmon Fishery Boards, and president of the Boys'
Brigade.
Lord Thurso is survived by his wife, Margaret, his sons, John and
Patrick, and a daughter, Camilla.
The funeral arrangements have yet to be finalised.
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