Sir Andrew Forbes-Leith of Fyvie

so-called ''Curse of Fyvie,'' by which the first-born was fated

not to succeed to this ancient Aberdeenshire lairdship.

In the six centuries since the curse was invoked by Thomas the Rhymer, the fourteenth-century seer, there has rarely been a

first-born to succeed his father

in the five families who have

held Fyvie.

In Sir Andrew's case, his

elder brother, John, was killed

on active service in Malaya in 1949 as a 21-year-old second lieutenant with the Scots Guards, and Sir Andrew inherited the title in 1973. However, since his disposal of Fyvie Castle in 1984 to the National Trust for Scotland, the curse would appear to have been stilled, for he has been succeeded in the baronetcy by his elder son, George, born in 1967.

Standing four-square a mile north of the village of Fyvie, Fyvie Castle comprises towers named after the families who each had ownership at different times - Preston, Meldrum, Gordon, and Leith, with the Seton tower comprising the main wing.

Sir Andrew Leith (motto: Trustie To The End) took pride

in his inheritance of the kingly history, stretching back to 1214 when King William the Lion

held court at Fyvie and includ-ing visits by Robert the Bruce and Charles I.

At 6ft 3in, Sir Andrew struck

a commanding presence, but always remained to those who met him a gentle gentleman,

his courtesy and height being inheritances from his father,

Sir Ian.

Sir Andrew was third baronet and fourth laird, the property

having been purchased by his great-grandfather Alexander in 1889. Alexander adopted the additional name Forbes to his surname in memory of his

mother, Mary Forbes of Ballogie.

He made his mark twice over, adding the Leith tower to the

castle, and, being created first (and only) Baron of Fyvie by Edward VII in 1905.

Educated at Eton, Sir Andrew early on developed a passionate interest in natural history, and after studying agriculture at Cirencester and a spell in New Zealand, bought Dunachton, a small estate near Kingussie.

There he introduced a range of species originally found in Scotland, including bears, wolves, and lynx. This development became the Highland Wildlife Park and now belongs to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

In the early 1980s Sir Andrew took the reluctant decision that he could no longer afford the upkeep of Fyvie and sold it to the

National Trust for Scotland, the latter assisted by a grant from

the National Heritage Memorial Fund. This ensured that the castle was not stripped of its magnificent furniture and art collection, which includes the finest collection of Raeburns outside the National Galleries of Scotland.

Sir Andrew married in 1962 Jane McCall-McCowan, daughter of a Dumfriesshire family. She died in 1969, shortly after

the birth of their fourth child.

He is survived by two sons and two daughters.