We are grateful to SLE member Ann Packard for kindly supplying obituaries for William Berry and James Hepburne Scott. 
 

William Berry WS DL 
26 September 1939–25 June 2025 

Owner of Tayfield Estate in Fife, William was a skilled land manager. This, coupled with singular competence as a solicitor, given his skills, tact, empathy and sense of strategy, meant that he advised many SLE members and other landowning clients.   
It is said that he “chaired Murray Beith Murray brilliantly”. Outside “MBM” he chaired the Scottish Life Assurance Company and was a director of several investment trusts. He was also widely known as a keen shot, a dedicated conservationist and a passionate supporter of the arts.  He will be greatly missed by his family and wide circle of friends.  A fuller obituary by SLE member Ann Packard, who kindly supplied these words, appeared in The Scotsman on 7 August 2025: tinyurl.com/William-Berry  

Amanda Feilding, Countess of Wemyss and March 
30 January 1945–22 May 2025 

A pioneer of the use of psychedelics as a treatment for depression and other mental disorders, and campaigned to end the global War on Drugs, which she described as the cause of more human suffering and wasteful expenditure than any other policy in the last 50 years. Her father, Basil Feilding of Beckley Park, farmed 400 acres of marshy land on Otmoor after the War and, referring to the advice and grants offered by the then Ministry of Agriculture, told her: “Whatever the government tells you to do, do the opposite!” Having taken LSD before it was declared illegal in the UK in 1966, and being convinced of its potential use in therapy and as an elixir to enhance human happiness, and mindful of her father’s advice, she in 1998 set up the Beckley Foundation, which held a series of seminars in the House of Lords at which scientists, policy-makers, and government officials discussed the efficacy of the drug laws and their unintended consequences. 

These culminated in The   Beckley Foundation Public Letter of 2011, calling for the replacement of the   War on Drugs by policies based on scientific evidence and harm reduction, signed by Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, Presidents of Colombia and Guatemala, and ex-Presidents of Brazil, Mexico, Poland and Switzerland, ten Nobel Prize winners and others. Experiments that she initiated at Imperial College London and elsewhere demonstrated that psychedelics could, by temporarily relaxing the grip of the Default Mode Network in the human brain, cure depression and other mental problems. In 1995 she married James Charteris, who in 2008 succeeded his father as 12th Earl of Wemyss and 9th Earl of March. Her wisdom, humour and malapropisms will be missed by her wide circle of friends and colleagues.  
She died at Beckley Park, Oxford. 

James Hepburne Scott OBE 
21 July 1947–3 August 2025 

Former Black Watch Infantry Officer, farmer, forester, friend, mentor, ally, one-time prospective parliamentary candidate, family historian, violinist, and lover of a ceilidh. Respected for his informed views and purposeful energy. James, with business partner Stephen Prior, pioneered using carbon finance to support UK woodland creation and peatland restoration projects. They then established Forest Carbon Ltd working with the Forestry Commission on developing the Woodland Carbon Code (2011), and with Defra on the Peatland Code (2015), in turn helping to unlock a   UK ‘natural capital’ market. Forest Carbon – for some years the only UK business of its type – has co-funded the planting of some 13 million trees, and the restoration of some 2,000 hectares of degraded peatland, with funding being secured from their many clients. James served as Forestry and Timber Association chairman, RSFS President, and Tweed Forum Chairman. He was honoured by an OBE in 2023, and an ICF Honorary Fellowship.  

Mary McCorquodale, Dowager Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne  
31 May 1932–28 April 2025 

Wife of the 17th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and one of the most influential and respected individuals in Angus, after a near 60-year association with Glamis Castle until her death at the age of 92 in April. Born in London, Mary Pamela McCorquodale was the child of Brigadier Norman McCorquodale and his wife, Barbara.  Her early years were spent in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, and then near St Boswells on the Scottish Borders.  After the war, Mary studied Domestic Science in Oxford and then moved to London before marrying Captain Fergus Bowes Lyon in April 1956. Her life was distinguished by her extraordinary legacy of service and dedication to many local charities and organisations, including the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Age Concern, Cancer Relief, and the

Child Psychotherapy Trust. Together with her husband who became 17th Earl of Strathmore in 1972, she transformed Glamis Castle into one of Scotland’s leading tourist attractions, welcoming a broad selection of guests, from the Royal Family to visitors from around the world. She was also an enthusiast of the arts, including the White Hall Theatre Tayside Symphony Orchestra, and the National Theatre of Scotland.  Following the Earl’s death in 1987, the Countess continued to play a vital stewardship role of the estate. She was appointed as Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Angus in 1989 and an Honorary Doctor of Law by the University of Dundee. A service of Thanksgiving was held on Friday May 16, 2025, at St Fergus Kirk in Glamis.  

Sir Jamie McGrigor 
19 October 1949–22 July 2025 

Born in London in 1949, Sir Jamie was educated at Cladich Primary School in Argyll and at Eton College. Upon graduating from the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland where he read French, Sir Jamie worked in finance in London before returning to his family farm in Argyll, where he kept livestock and started up a trout farm.  In public life, Sir Jamie was well known for the 23 years he spent serving constituents in local and national politics. He was elected as an MSP for the Highlands and Islands Region in 1999, taking on front bench roles as his party’s spokesperson on fisheries, communities, and sport until stepping down at the 2016 election. He went on to serve as a councillor for the Oban South and the Isle Ward on Argyll and Bute Council until 2022.  He is fondly remembered by those close to him as “charismatic, funny and warm”. Deeply committed to the causes and communities he represented, he had a lasting impact on the preservation of Scottish culture by establishing the legislative underpinning for the register of tartans. 

Capt Ian Cameron Sales de La Terriere  
15 September 1930–13 March 2025  

Captain Ian was known for his traditions of service, sport and stewardship. Born Ian Cameron Sales de La Terrière to Major James Fenwick de Sales La Terrière and his wife, Natalie, he was educated at Eton and later served with distinction as an officer in the British Army. He demonstrated exceptional sporting prowess, representing both the Army and Scotland at squash and also excelling in tennis, real tennis and rackets at both national and international levels. At Dunalastair Estate, as Laird he dedicated his life to careful stewardship of the land, preserving its natural beauty and cultural heritage until his death at the age of 94 in March.  A service of Thanksgiving was held on Friday April 11, 2025 at All Saints Church in Kinloch Rannoch. 

Prudence (Prue) Kennard

2 February 1926 – 2 December 2025

A Scottish Land & Estates member since 1959, Prudence ‘Prue’ Kennard dedicated her life to the countryside she loved. Raised in Aberdeenshire, she developed a lifelong connection to farming, ponies and rural community life. After her marriage to David Kennard, Prue settled at Coul, near Auchterarder, where she and her husband cared for the house, gardens and surrounding farmland for decades. She became one of Perthshire’s most respected advocates for responsible countryside access, helping develop multi-use routes and serving on local access forums following the Land Reform Act. A lifelong rider and walker, she contributed extensively to the Strathearn Pony Club and founded the Auchterarder Riders and Walkers Association. She will be greatly missed by family, friends and the many who benefitted from her commitment to our landscapes.

Andrew Marshall 
8 May 1976 – 4 February 2026

Andrew Marshall, Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist known for his work with the Carlowrie Group, leaves behind a legacy defined by compassion and innovation. At the heart of his philosophy was The Carlowrie Way, a holistic approach to business that integrates social and environmental impact into every decision. He will be remembered by so many for his warmth, curiosity and generosity. His strong values, business successes and community initiatives will continue to inspire generations to come. He will be missed by his family, wide circle of friends and colleagues.