Ian Craig.

Ian Craig wasn’t a local man, but to an entire generation of Scottish bee keepers he was Scottish bee keeping. He proudly claimed to have  lectured and met every beekeeping club in Scotland, not to mention many of those outside of our borders and, even, outside of these islands. He represented both our bees’ and their keepers’ interests at local level (having served six years as president of The Scottish Beekeeping Association) and at government level by lobbying and negotiating at Holyrood, Westminster and Brussels. He was also the force behind developing the education system within the Scottish bee keeping community.
 
In the New Year’s honour list for 2013, Ian was awarded the MBE for services to bee keeping and, although modesty suggested he should do otherwise, he accepted it when he was assured that he would be doing so on behalf of all bee keepers; personally, I think he deserved it.
 
Ian had been secretary of the Kilbarchan bee keeping club for forty years and, this morning, his successor, along with a colleague, visited each of his hives in turn, laying a “Kilbarchan beekeeping tartan” designed by Ian himself on it, and carrying out the tradition of “telling the bees” of his death. This afternoon, over 150 family and friends gathered for his funeral at Kilbarchan Kirk where his beekeeping gear was displayed at the altar. He had a good send off and will be missed by many.
 
Our thoughts are with his wife, Aileen, and the rest of the family.