Tragic Scots building tycoon Mickel leaves £6m will

Derek Mickel, the Scottish building tycoon who died tragically when he drowned in the sea in the Canary Islands last November, left a will containing a £6 million fortune, it has emerged.

Mr Mickel, 79, a grandfather-of-two, was pulled from the sea in Fuerteventura but his life could not be saved by emergency services.

Until shortly before his tragic death he had served as chairman of the family-run construction firm Mactaggart & Mickel.

He worked for the firm for more than 50 years, alongside many of his relatives, including his son Andrew, resulting in the family becoming one of Scotland’s richest.

Details of his £6,214,452 fortune have emerged following the publication of his will.

The documents show he held £359,889.11 across five bank accounts.

And he also had more than 23,000 shares in Mactaggart & Mickel valued at £1,727,900.He also had a stocks and shares portfolio worth £3,006,975.

He had ordered his estate should be passed on to his wife and family after his death.

Before embarking on a career in the building business, Mr Mickel attended Dollar Academy and later graduated from Strathclyde University with a degree in architecture and town planning.

A keen gardener and curler, he was also a supporter of the arts and enjoyed going to orchestra, opera and ballet performances.

Mr Mickel had also been involved with The Mickel Fund, which donates about £100,000 a year to charity including work to provide accommodation for young homeless people.

At Mactaggart & Mickel, Mr Mickel pioneered the design of traditional homes within modern, pedestrian-friendly layouts using streetscapes and public areas to create a sense of community.

He was said to have made a huge contribution to the firm and the wider construction industry, especially as it diversified in the first decade of the millennium.

Mactaggart & Mickel was part of the team responsible for transforming the Commonwealth Games Athletes’ Village into 700 new residential homes.

Mr Mickel is survived by his wife, Ann, who he lived with in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire.