Orkney farmer Charles Gorn leaves £470,000 to agricultural charity
2nd August 2025
Orkney farmer Charles Gorn, who passed away in November 2023, has left a £470,000 legacy from his estate to RSABI, an agricultural charity that supports the Scottish farming community.
Mr Gorn, known as Charlie, farmed at Weddell, near Holm. He left around half of his estate to the charity, which provides emotional, financial and practical support to people in farming and crofting in Scotland. The remainder was gifted in his will to several charities involved in supporting people with cancer.
The farmer, who was 82 years old when he passed away, was born and brought up in Holm. As a young man he ventured away from Orkney and was employed as a stockman in Perthshire for the estate of Sir Torquil Munro, where he worked with the famous Lindertis Aberdeen-Angus herd.
He was very well respected in this stockman role—where he kindled an enduring love of the Aberdeen-Angus breed. While working in Perthshire, Charlie was encouraged to save and put some money aside for the future.
He started pension and investment plans from a young age and went on to work in Aberdeenshire in plant and machinery for a period of time.
When he returned to Orkney years later, 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 farming enterprise with the purchase of some additional land over the years and continuing to run Aberdeen-Angus cows on the property.
He travelled to Australia at one point to visit Aberdeen-Angus farmers there and won a tremendous number of show cups in his own right, which he later donated to the local agricultural society.
RSABI chief executive officer Carol McLaren recently spent time in Orkney learning more about Charlie’s background and how he came to leave this incredible legacy to the charity from executor Steven Metcalf and other friends.
She said: “This legacy means a huge amount to RSABI, and 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.
“We are committed to ensuring many people facing dark times receive our support, helped by the funds he has so kindly entrusted us with.”
In recent months RSABI has delivered a number of initiatives in Orkney. Following two Mental Health First Aid training courses in Kirkwall, the charity was pleased to bring the Jim Smith #KeepTalking show to Orkney at the start of 2025, followed by a Planning for the Future roadshow date this spring.
This summer, RSABI is attending both Dounby and County shows and is looking forward to bringing its Health Hut to the Orkney Mart sale on August 11th.
RSABI’s free confidential support service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, by calling 0808 1234 555 (calls will not show up on phone bills) or through a confidential webchat service, available on RSABI’s website.
Read more rural news.
