Scotland has lost one of it's biggest sheep farming characters, Alex Arbuckle, or Sandy as he chose to be known as by the nursing staff when he spent short periods in hospital!

Born on March 27, 1939 at Ratho Mains Farm Cottages, he was always a bit of a rascal and did not always attend school. One of his teachers had a smallholding and when he often helped there, the teachers marked him as present at school!

As a young man, he enjoyed playing cricket and was a member of the West Lothian Cricket team. In later years, he liked to keep up to date with most sports results as it played a lot into the banter he would have with people. He loved a good wind up!

Alex had five of a family from his first marriage and worked on farms most of his younger life, moving house many times for work. In his latter years he worked with Bells Whisky, Marshalls Chunky Chickens and West Lothian Council at the 'skips' where the hours were long and hard. His last job was driving passengers in the shuttle bus between the car park and the terminal at Edinburgh Airport.

One part of the role he particularly enjoyed was pasting labels on car windscreens when folk illegally parked in disabled spaces including that of a former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

During this time Alex was also chauffeuring different people around, making a wee side penny which he used to pay for holidays and treats. On one notable occasion he was pulled over by the police for suspected kerb-crawling while innocently waiting for his daughter who was attending a function at the nearby Rosyth dockyards.

Alex and his second wife Margaret first knew each other at High School then met again 40 years later. They married and had almost 30 years of fun, enjoying travelling the world and meeting the many friends they now share along the way.

Alex’s lifetime love was speedway, and the Edinburgh Monarchs. He sponsored one of their Air Wall Safety panels which promoted his beloved Shetland sheep flock.

When Alex retired, he was looking for a hobby and bought some commercial ewes. However, unbeknown to him, they were in lamb and the surprise arrivals were the start of a new hobby, breeding and showing Shetland sheep. His Brae flock was formed with the purchase of Foxholes Dalwhinnie, and he, Margaret and niece, Suzanne Meikle, were introduced to the show ring by the late David Foster.

Showing sheep from the Brae flock took them from the South West of England to the most northerly part of Scotland including Shetland and wherever they went friendships were made. Former champion winners at the Royal Highland Show in 2007, the partnership also triumphed at the Great Yorkshire to win the tri-colour both in 2012 and 2015 along with the highly coveted fleece competition. They also won the reserve championship at the prestigious Shetland Sheep Society Champion of Champions competition in 2015.

The most kind hearted and generous person you could meet, Alex would do anything for anyone. It’s well known that if you wanted something done you just had to ask Alex – he always knew somebody who could bring the goods!

After Alex’s health deteriorated, he still kept his finger on the pulse watching the cameras on the fields where he was able to tell when there was a lame sheep or a fence needing repaired and he loved watching the new born lambs.

Lockdown was hard for Alex and Margaret, initially visits could only be held from the living room window, and over the two years they got waves from lots of passers-by and regular phone calls from people. For a short time after lockdown when they were able to go out, if it was a breakfast, he always chose the scrambled eggs and then usually declared that Margaret’s were still the best!

Alex – Rest in Peace – we are grateful to have shared your life and you will be dearly missed by so many.

Suzanne Meikle