Michael Gascoigne

“At 13 he was awarded a scholarship to Fettes College, Edinburgh, where he excelled in all aspects of school life. Studious and inquisitive by inclination, popular with his peers and teachers, and with a good eye for a ball, he took advantage of the many extra-mural activities Fettes offered. His claim to fame during this period was being obliged to discipline his “fag” Tony Blair, but Michael never revealed the nature of the latter’s misdemeanour, nor the punishment. He went on to read law at the University of Aberdeen.”

“At 24 Michael was the youngest person ever to be made a partner by Brodies. A sound technician, he developed a full knowledge of the law with an acquisitive interest in all aspects that affected the countryside. He became a specialist in agriculture law – his expertise and encyclopedic knowledge were regarded throughout his profession as second to none. Perhaps best described as a lawyer’s lawyer, he was a past master at finding clever but sensible solutions to the knottiest legal problems and tracing a way through the maze of a complicated property transaction.”

Read the full obituary here