AN honour from the Queen is music to the ears of a Scottish Opera chief from Kilmacolm.

Businessman Colin McClatchie, 68, has been made a CBE in Her Majesty’s birthday honours list for services to music and voluntary services.

The married dad-of-two is originally from Country Down in Northern Ireland but has lived in the village for 32 years and is thrilled with the award - especially after having to keep quiet about it for five weeks.

Colin is now vice-president of Scottish Opera having been chairman of the organisation for seven years and he also chaired Glasgow UNESCO City of Music.

But he is no stranger to headlines having spent most of his distinguished business career in the newspaper industry, including as a non-executive director of the Greenock Telegraph’s former parent company, The Dunfermline Press.

His wife Claire, nee McConnachie, also formerly worked for the Tele in the advertising department.

Colin said: “I’ve done a fair amount of stuff.

“I’ve been in newspapers most of my life.

“I have an honorary title now with Scottish Opera as vice-president but I was chairman for seven years.

“I was absolutely thrilled when I found out about the award - I had absolutely no idea it was coming.

“I was told just under five weeks ago and it says under no circumstances can you tell anyone about it.

“The only person I could share the news with was my wife so it’s a relief now that it’s out in the open.”

Colin is still working and runs his own mentoring business.

He is also involved with a number of other organisations, including on the council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS).

He was also previously chairman of St Columba’s School in Kilmacolm and served on the board of Scottish Enterprise.

Colin said: “You get out of life what you put into it and I always take the view that life has been pretty good to me and I’ve tried to put something back in.

“I try to see what I can do for my fellow citizens.”
Colin has two daughters, Amanda, who lives in New Zealand, and Milena, who lives in Glasgow.

The honours list was published at the weekend and it was a double celebration for the family with Amanda’s boyfriend Piers Francis winning his second England cap and scoring his first test try for England as they beat Argentina.

Colin said: “It was a good day.”