Hamish Watt

Who was Hamish Watt?

Hamish Watt was a Scottish politician, farmer and writer. The son of William Watt and Caroline Allan, he was educated at Keith Grammar School and at the University of St Andrews, and was involved in dairy and sheep farming and other business interests.

He contested Caithness and Sutherland as the Conservative candidate in 1966. He then switched to the Scottish National Party, contesting Banffshire in 1970. He was elected for the seat in the Feb 1974 general election, holding it until the 1979 election. After a boundary change, he was unsuccessful SNP candidate for Moray in 1983. He was later a Regional and District Councillor with Moray District Council and Grampian Regional Council from 1985-90. He was Rector of the University of Aberdeen from 1985–88, and was awarded an honorary LLD by the University in 1988. Latterly he was a newspaper columnist, after-dinner speaker and author.

His daughter Maureen Watt became an MSP in 2006.

He was parodied as "Hamish Banff" in the 7:84 theatre company's play Little Red Hen.