Norman Macfarlane, Baron Macfarlane of Bearsden

Who is Norman Macfarlane, Baron Macfarlane of Bearsden?

Norman Somerville Macfarlane, Baron Macfarlane of Bearsden, KT, DL is a Scottish industrialist and Conservative member of the House of Lords.

Educated at the High School of Glasgow, he served in Palestine with the Royal Artillery from 1945 to 1947. While serving he suffered an injury to his neck. Later he founded N . S Macfarlane & Co. Ltd. in 1949, later becoming the Macfarlane Group plc in 1973. From 1973 to 1990 he served as Managing Director, and as Chair 1973-98, becoming Honorary Life President in 1999. He was a Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund from 1984 to 1997 and of the National Galleries of Scotland from 1986 until 1997. Most recently he directed the fund-raising campaign for the Kelvingrove Art Gallery refurbishment.

He was a Member of the Council CBI Scotland from 1975 to 1981, a Board Member of the Scottish Development Agency from 1979 until 1987, and a Member of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland from 1980 to 1982.

Macfarlane received a knighthood in 1983, was created a life peer with the title Baron Macfarlane of Bearsden, of Bearsden in the District of Bearsden and Milngavie on 29 July 1991 and made a Knight of the Thistle in 1996.