01-08-2025
Orkney farmer donates nearly £1 million to good causes in his will
Orkney farmer Charlie Gorn left £470,000 – about half of his estate – to agricultural charity RSABI in his will.
Charlie died in November 2023, aged 82.
He farmed at Weddell, near Holm, on mainland Orkney.
The rest of his estate was split between several charities involved in supporting people with cancer.
Charlie was born and grew up in Holm, going on to work as a stockman for the estate of Sir Torquil Munro in Perthshire. It was there he worked with the famous Lindertis Aberdeen-Angus herd.
He soon gained an enduring love of the Aberdeen-Angus breed.
After a spell in Aberdeenshire, where he worked in plant and machnery, he returned to Orkney in the 1970s.
He was employed at Weddell, just a few miles from where he was born, and in time he had enough savings to buy the farm.
Charlie farmed there on his own account, adding to his business with the purchase of additional land over the years and continuing to run a herd of Aberdeen-Angus cows.
He travelled to Australia at one point to visit Aberdeen-Angus farmers there.
Show success delivered a large collection of trophies which he donated to his local agricultural society.
RSABI chief executive Officer Carol McLaren recently spent time in Orkney learning more about Charlie's life.
She met estate executor Steven Metcalf and some of Charlie's other friends.
Carol said: 'This legacy means a huge amount to RSABI. It was a great privilege to be able to learn more about Charlie's life and how he came to choose to support the work we do, to help people during tough times in farming and crofting, in this incredible way.
'It was humbling to visit the area where Charlie was born and later farmed, and to pay respects at his grave, on behalf of all the team at RSABI.
'We are extremely grateful to Charlie for recognising the value of the work we do and choosing to kindly gift a significant part of his lifetime savings to support the charity.'
She added: 'We are committed to ensuring many people facing dark times receive our support, helped by the funds he has so kindly entrusted us with.'
RSABI has delivered a number of projects in Orkney in recent months.
Following two Mental Health First Aid training courses in Kirkwall, the charity brought its Jim Smith #KeepTalking show to Orkney at the start of 2025.
It also held one of its Planning for the Future roadshows on the islands.
The charity will be attending both Dounby and Orkney County shows this month.
And RSABI's Health Hut will visit Orkney Mart on August 11.
The charity provides emotional, financial and practical support to those in the farming sector in Scotland.
Its free confidential support service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, by calling 0808 1234 555 (calls won't show up on phone bills) or through a confidential webchat service at
