Whisky family tops Scotland’s rich list

The family which owns the Dufftown-based business William Grant and Sons, makers of Glenfiddich, is run by the The Grant/Gordon family – who are now worth £2.16 billion, up from £1.9billion a year ago, according to the list.

The family is one of a record 10 billionaires north of the border, with energy mogul Sir Ian Wood ranked as the fourth wealthiest in Scotland and 72nd in the UK with a family fortune of £1.44billion.

Meanwhile, Sir Arnold Clark has become Britain’s first billionaire car dealer after the newspaper estimated the 88-year-old and his family’s fortune at just over £1bn, putting them at 114th in the list.

It said profits at Glasgow-based Arnold Clark Automobiles reached a record £107.2m in 2014, on sales of £3.2bn.

The Thomson family, whose Dundee-based media business DC Thomson, which has traditionally published newspapers, magazines and books and has now added new media, digital technology, retail, radio and television through investment interests, is fifth equal on the Scottish list at £1.28billion.

That fifth spot is shared with Buckie-born businessman Trond Mohn and his sister, Marit Mohn Westlake, who made their fortune in Norway and are valued at £1.28billion.

The Duke of Sutherland – whose family seat is at Dunrobin Castle in Golspie – is ranked 15th in Scotland at £580million.

At 108th, engineering entrepreneur Jim McColl is estimated to be worth just over £1bn - up by £10m on 2015. The Sunday Times values his company Clyde Blowers at £1.7bn, valuing Mr McColl’s stake at £1.02bn. Other assets added £50m.

Tied in 117th place are Sir Brian Souter and Ann Gloag, founders of Perth-based transport giant Stagecoach. They are estimated to be worth £1bn - down by £40m on 2015.

Author JK Rowling is tied at 197th on the list, with an estimated fortune of £600m - £20m more than in 2015.

Other wealthy individuals with connections to Scotland include Jim Radcliffe, boss of the Ineos chemicals group which includes the giant petrochemicals plant in Grangemouth.

He was tied at 30th with an estimated worth of £3.2bn.

Mahdi al-Tajir, Bahrain-born owner of Scottish mineral water firm Highland Spring, was 60th in the list with a fortune estimated at £1.735bn. Highland Spring turned in a £1.6m profit on record sales of £100m in 2014, according to the Sunday Times.

Scottish tennis stars Andy and Jamie Murray were 11th in the top 50 young rich list with a fortune estimated at £58m - £10m more than 2015.

Also high up the Scottish rankings is north-east businessman Steven Ferguson – worth £250million after selling the Kintore-based Ferguson Group for £320million.

Oban-born Susie Wolff and her husband, Toto, are 23rd equal in Scotland and a new entry to the UK’s top 1, 000 at £ 240million, thanks to their investment in Formula One motor racing.

Alasdair Locke, who netted more than £140million from share deals and the sale of Aberdeen-based Abbot Group, is said to be worth £180million.

Ian Taylor, chief executive of international oil trader Vitol and also a director and the l argest shareholder at Western Isles business Harris Tweed Hebrides, i s valued at £175million.

Tommy Dreelan, one of four brothers who founded Portlethen oil services company Qserv in 2001 and netted nearly £100million when they sold it seven years later to Norway’s Aker Solutions, is said to be worth £172million.

Banchory- born Pete Cashmore, founder of website Mashable, is valued at £170million and Douglas Craig, chairman and managing director of Aberdeen shipping and energy services firm Craig Group is 635th on the UK list with a family fortune of £163million.

Other north and northeast figures among the UK top 1,000 include Aberdeen oil and gas entrepreneur Tom Cross and housebuilder Stewart Milne, on £150million and £136million respectively, and Peterhead-based Alexander Buchan and his family on £180million earned in fishing and transport.

Roy MacGregor, owner of Inverness-based Global Energy Group and chairman of Ross County Football Club, and Aberdeen entrepreneur Jim Milne are both valued at £105million.

The UK list was headed by two brothers, property and internet entrepreneurs David and Simon Reuben, who live in Switzerland and are said to be worth £13.1billion.