Queen’s birthday honours for Rankin and curlers

THE Queen’s birthday honours list includes a knighthoods for author Ian Rankin and shortbread maker James Walker, as well as awards for our Olympic-winning women’s curling team.

The creator of detective John Rebus was made a knight bachelor for his services to literature and charity.

A walk around Edinburgh’s literary landmarks with Rankin was the prize in a recent competition organised by promotional body Forever Edinburgh.

From a fictional detective to a real-life crime-fighter, with Iain Livingstone – chief constable at Police Scotland – also being knighted, for services to the police and the public.

Sally Mapstone, principal of the University of St Andrews, becomes a dame, while Aziz Sheikh, chair of primary care research and development at the University of Edinburgh, becomes a knight.

Eve Muirhead, skip of the British Olympic curling team, was made an officer of the order of the British empire (OBE), elevating her from her current position as a member of the order (MBE).

MBEs were also awarded to the rest of her gold medal-winning team – Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff, Mili Smith, and Victoria Wright – along with head coach David Murdoch.

Former Royal Caledonian Curling Club president Bill Duncan also received an MBE for his services to curling and charities in Perth.

Swimmer Hannah Miley, former Scotland goalie Alan Rough, and Para Alpine skiing brothers Neil and Andrew Simpson all also received MBEs.

In industry, fellow Aberdeenshire businessman Jim Milne – managing director of engineering firm Balmoral Group – is knighted alongside Walker.

Ian and Michael Urquhart, joint managing directors of whisky bottler and distiller Gordon & MacPhail, have each been made commanders of the order of the British empire (CBE).

Stanley Morris, chair of the food, drink, and agriculture board at private-sector economic development agency Opportunity North East, received an MBE, as did Nicholas Groves-Raines, a director at Groves-Raines Architects Studios in Edinburgh.

One of the strongest advocates for the hospitality sector during the pandemic, Scottish Tourism Alliance chief executive Marc Crothall, was also made an MBE.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, received the same honour.

The full Queen’s birthday honours list is available here.

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