Obituary - Hon JME Bruce CBE

Jamie Bruce was the son of Edward Bruce, Earl of Elgin, and Katherine Bruce. He was educated at Eton before undertaking army training at Sandhurst and he served with the Scots Guards. He also studied at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, which gave him a grounding for his future work in the world of farming and forestry, undertaken both at home at Balmanno in Perthshire and in St Lucia.

Throughout his life Mr Bruce had a passionate interest in forestry and more than 50 years ago he was one of a group of influential landowners who formed the Co-operative Forestry Society to serve the forest management needs of private sector woodland owners.

The organisation evolved to become SWOA (Scottish Woodland Owners Association) and was successful in lobbying and representing forest owners in Scotland. SWOA also became a forest management and timber marketing organisation.

Mr Bruce saw the importance of establishing a commercial forest management company and was the architect behind the formation of SWOAC Ltd (Scottish Woodland Owners Association Commercial Ltd) which was incorporated in 1967. SWOAC Ltd was a wholly-owned subsidiary of SWOA and was capitalised with £7 plus a loan from the parent organisation of £12,000.

Mr Bruce became the first chairman of the new company.

In 1986, the directors and staff of SWOAC Ltd bought the company from SWOA for £1.35m, to form the first employee-owned forestry business of its scale in the UK. Following the management buy-out the company became known as Scottish Woodlands Ltd. The capital SWOA raised from the sale led to the creation of the Scottish Forestry Trust which continues to this day to promote and fund education, training and research in forestry, now with assets exceeding £2.5m.

When Mr Bruce retired in 1992, following 25 years as chairman, the company had a turnover of £15.1m, 77 staff and over 100,000ha of woodland under its management. Managing director Colin Mann said Scottish Woodlands' staff, directors and customers owed Mr Bruce great gratitude for his legacy.

Mr Bruce also served on many forestry committees, including as chairman of the Forestry Committee of Great Britain; member of the governing council of TGUK; member of the executive committee of FICGB; and member of the FC Home Grown Timber Advisory Committee for over 30 years. He was awarded the CBE in 1992 for services to the forest industry.

He continued farming at Balmanno, was a member of the Scottish Council Development & Industry Committee, chairman and honorary Fellow of The Game Conservancy Scotland, chairman and honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Scotland, and vice-president of Scottish Opera. In addition, he had business interests at various stages in the Kirkforthar Brickworks and fishing trawlers.
Mr Bruce is survived by his wife Mary Elizabeth and extensive family. The Bruce family tradition in forestry continues at Balmanno in Perthshire, Broomhall in Fife,and Glen Tanar in Aberdeenshire.

"The legacy which Jamie has left will long continue to influence the lives and careers of those he encouraged and supported through such a long and distinguished career," said Mr Mann.