Sir Alexander Grant, his family & the history of Logie Steading and Estate

Sir Alexander Grant bought Logie estate in 1924. Three generations of his descendants currently live on the estate, the latest being the sixth generation of Sir Alexander’s family to live at Logie. After buying Logie in 1924 (in the same year that he was created a Baronet), Sir Alexander renovated Logie House and built the sandstone farm buildings. After Sir Alexander’s death, his son, Sir Robert, started work on the adjacent garage and chauffeur’s accommodation (aka The Big Garage); this was never completed due to the outbreak of WWII. Sir Robert’s nephew, Sandy Laing, inherited the estate in 1947 and his wife still lived here until 2014. During his tenure a herd of 100 Ayrshire cows were milked in the farm buildings.

In 1983 the decision was made to sell the dairy herd, and the buildings became redundant. Alasdair Laing inherited from his father, Sandy, in 1988. In 1991, he and his wife Panny, with financial assistance from HIDB, developed the steading into workshops - the first tenants were the Tea Room, Logie Gunmakers, Neil Oliver the engraver, and the Art Gallery; over the next 20 years, the River Findhorn Heritage Centre opened, the playground was built, river walks developed, there have been open air theatre performances, and new businesses have opened. The milking parlour was where the Heritage Centre is now; the bull pens were where Hellygog is, and the cows wintered where the café is today. Quite a change!

In 2012 it became evident that the Café needed larger premises to cater for the increasing number of visitors. It seemed to be the right time to develop the Big Garage. The Farm & Garden Shop expanded and moved into the eastern part of the building and Logie Whisky & Wine moved into the larger space in the south side of the building next-door. Logie Timber's The Boardroom timber showroom opened to the north of the Farm Shop in 2019. The Café re-opened in the larger courtyard space vacated by Giles Pearson and the Farm Shop.

Today, Panny Laing farms her small herd of Longhorn cattle which you will likely see in the fields along the drive in to the Steading. Their delicious meat supplies Panny and Alasdair’s Farm and Garden shop, as does the estate’s own wild venison as well as Panny's few seasonal pigs and jacob sheep for delicious extensively reared pork and lamb. You may also meet Panny's flock of (often very) free-range hens whose delicious eggs sometimes supply the Farm and Garden Shop. The Logie House Gardens are always open to the public during steading opening hours and many of the plants you find in the Farm and Garden shop are propagated here. In 2009-2012 the gardens underwent a major relandscaping under Panny and Gavin Dallmeyer’s direction. Today the plants in this lovely garden are starting to mature. The full story of the garden developments can be found on the Garden page.

Aside from the Steading and Home Farm, there are a number of other enterprises supported across the estate. Farming, forestry, energy generation, environmental and community projects, housing, and fishing are a few. The latest of which is Logie Timber, a full circle timber business with a sawmill here on the estate set up in 2017 as a partnership between Alec Laing and Mark Councill. You can read more about many of these enterprises on other pages of this website.

Alasdair and Panny have brought up three children at Logie; Emma, Alec and Fred. Emma came home from 10 years teaching at a school in Kenya in 2016 to marry George in the first family wedding at Logie in a generation. They now live in the borders with their children Sophia and Rory. Freddie works in finance and lives in Edinburgh with his wife Eleanor and sons Arthur, Kester and Dougal (the latest member of the family born in 2020). In 2013 Alec, his wife Jo and their daughter Juno returned to live and work on the estate. Their sons, Maxim and Angus, were then born here in 2014 and '16. There are many descendants of Alexander Grant living in the area today, these are just the ones in the Logie branch of the family.

Logie is very much a family estate. From Panny and Alasdair down to their grandchildren Juno, Max and Gus, we are three generations of Sir Alexander’s descendants here at Logie today.

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Logie Laing family summer 2021
Sir Alexander Grant

Sir Alexander Grant

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The earlier history of Logie, including the Wolf of Badenoch and Randolph’s Leap, as well as an exhibition about the River Findhorn and a model white house can be explored at the River Findhorn Heritage Centre at Logie Steading.

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Family & History

Terms & Conditions for fishing on Logie Estate

  1. Fishing on the river is restricted to 2 rods per beat and is to be by fly only. All fishing is from the right bank. By arrangement with the neighbouring estate there is no left bank fishing on the Relugas Middle and Top beats.
  2. The fishing is split into two 2 rod beats, Logie and Relugas, with Relugas sub divided into Middle and Top.  Beats can be taken together or separately. Logie is fished Monday to Saturday, Relugas Middle on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Relugas Top on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Beats change at midnight.
  3. Fishermen must contact Logie Estate office on 01309 611300 a day or so before arrival to organise being shown onto the river. A map of pools, beats and access routes will be provided.
  4. Bio-security is important to the future of the river and anglers are asked to observe protection measures. The Findhorn District Fishery Board Conservation Code will be strictly observed. To summarise: All fish caught up to 14th May inclusive must be released. From 15th May, all salmon over 9 lbs / 4 kg / 28 inches / 72 cm are to be returned.  Below that measurement at least 70% of salmon and 50% of grilse caught should be released and a maximum of 1 salmon and / or 2 grilse per rod per week may be retained. In September all fish are to be returned. No gaffs or tailers are allowed.
  5. The Findhorn District Fishery Board Bio-security measures will be strictly observed and all fishermen in the party must sign the Bio-security Declaration. (Also available at http://www.fnlft.org.uk/downloads/)
  6. The Estate recommends that barbless hooks are used, fishermen are in possession of a disgorger and that knotless nets are used. All possible care should be taken when returning fish to the river, they should be handled as little, and gently, as possible and should not be removed from the water.
  7. The catch should be reported at the end of each day of fishing to Logie Estate Office on 01309 611300. If the office is closed, please leave a message on the answering machine with the date, weight and pool. Please also report a nil catch day.
  8. Dogs are allowed on the river but must be kept strictly under control at all times. The Estate reserves the right to ask tenants to remove dogs if they are considered to be out of control.
  9. Rod, line and fly size are dependent on prevailing weather and water conditions and personal choice. In general, maximum rod length needed is 13ft with a size 8 or 9 line, usually floating. Fly sizes range from 6 – 8 in the spring down to 12 or less in summer low water.
  10. Safety must be considered at all times. All beats have a variety of pools with some suitable for most heights of water. Little wading is necessary and river paths are good however the fishing is within the Findhorn gorge, access to some of the pools is quite steep and a degree of rock scrambling is often necessary when playing and landing fish. Please be aware that a reasonable level of fitness and mobility is required. A buoyancy aid for each rod is provided and should be collected from Logie Estate Office on arrival, and returned to the Estate Office (or to the outbuilding opposite if office is closed) on departure. Logie Estate strongly recommends that buoyancy aids are worn when fishing and not doing so is entirely at fishermen’s own risk. Please pay attention at all times, avoid slips and falls, wear appropriate footwear, look out for overhead electricity lines, watch the weather and pay attention to livestock. Take extra care if fishing alone.
  11. Anglers need to supply or hire their own equipment (except buoyancy aids, which are provided).
  12. Ghillieing/tuition is available by on a first come, first served basis. This must be booked in advance with the Estate Office and is subject to availability. A half day ghillieing/tuition is approx. 3 hours, full day approx. 6 hours. Please contact the estate office or check our website for current rates. Rates do not include discretionary tips.
  13. Rod, Reel & Line hire is available by on a first come, first served basis. This must be booked in advance with the Estate Office and is subject to availability. Please contact the estate office or check our website for current rates. A rod, reel and line set is for one person and is subject to a fully refundable damage deposit of £100.
  14. Aside from fishermen, others, including rafters and kayakers, enjoy this stretch of river and mutual respect and consideration is expected.
  15. Bookings are confirmed when initial payment is received. Subsequent changes in dates or number or rods are entirely subject to the Estate’s discretion and to availability. Change of dates, if accepted, incur an administration fee. In the event of a cancellation the tenant must advise Logie Estate immediately, whereupon Logie will endeavour to re-let. If a new tenant can be found the deposit will be returned less any expenses incurred for advertising, office costs, etc., and less any shortfalls in discounted list price. Until such time as a vacancy has been re-let the hirer is responsible for making any further payment by the due dates. Failure to do so may mean that the hirer forfeits any refund if the dates are re-let. If it is not possible to re-let, all payments are still payable by the due date(s). It is unlikely that a refund can be made for a late cancellation. Logie Estate recommends that fishermen take out relevant cancellation insurance.
  16. Subletting fishing is only allowed with Logie Estate’s permission.
  17. Logie Estate reserves the right to immediately withdraw fishing without compensation from anyone who breaks these or associated conditions, or flouts normal standards of behaviour or fishing etiquette.