THE Wee County's CBE recipient has vowed to live up to the award after being named on the queen's New Years Honours list.

Muckhart man Tim Allan received the highest honour from the cohort of Clacks residents named by the queen as the country welcomed in 2022.

Made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to business, charity and arts, Mr Allan has become one of just 8,960 living people with the title.

An entrepreneur, Mr Allan has served as president of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce for five years and stepped down at the turn of the year.

The business leader has also served as the second chair of V&A Dundee, creating and leading a cultural recovery fund which raised more than £1million in 2020.

The Clacks man also sits on the court at the University of St Andrews and is a deputy lord lieutenant in the Wee County.

He told the Advertiser: “I have a wide-ranging, number of interests, which give me huge pleasure.

“You just have to keep on top of your work and I was sad to retire as president of Scottish Chambers of Commerce at new year after five years, but I've got plenty of energy and capacity in me, so I can keep going.”

For Mr Allan, the award is not only bringing recognition for his tireless work, but it is also encouraging him to do more.

He said: “When one is given an award like this, it's not just to thank you or recognise you for the work you've done so far.

“It is also to encourage you to go further and do more in the future.

“I still have a number of major responsibilities and I intend fully to live up to the award that I've been honoured with.”

Just along the road, Dollar man Craig Stewart was awarded with an MBE in the New Years Honours list for services to young people.

A former pupil of the academy, he has been in charge of the piping programme since joining the staff in 1991.

At the time, the band could not field enough players to compete in the Scottish Schools Championship event it was hosting, but since then the school band has gone on to become world champions.

Mr Stewart has also been instrumental as a cadet officer in the CCF and went on to coach shooting talent.

The academy became national champions in 2005 and 2013, remaining the only Scottish school to win the Ashburton Shield in the past 50 years.

There has been a steady stream of talent coming in, including Olympian Jen McIntosh.

Ian Munro, rector at Dollar Academy, said: “Craig's honour is entirely appropriate and very well deserved.

“Generations of young people in Dollar have benefitted from his teaching and leadership and all of us at the academy are extremely proud of him.”

Also in Dollar, Thomas Bennett received an OBE for his services to education while former Dollar Academy pupil Andrew Whalley was awarded the same for services to architecture and to environmental sustainability.