Obituary: Hon Francis Hepburne Scott, farmer

The Hon Francis Hepburne Scott died peacefully at Borders General Hospital just a week after enjoying a family gathering at the Ettrick and Yarrow Show. He and his wife Marjorie had lived and farmed at Newhouse Farm, Lilliesleaf, for 35 years. Earlier, he had farmed at Lessudden, St Boswells and Cardon near Broughton in upper Tweeddale.

The second son of the Master of Polwarth, his early life was spent at Harden, near Hawick. This was the family home created over five centuries around the original keep built by his direct forbear, Auld Wat of Harden, the famous 16th-century reiver. His father did not succeed to the title of Lord Polwarth, dying before his grandfather.

When the Second World War broke out, he was about to commence a language degree at King's College, Cambridge, but after one year enlisted in his father's regiment, The Lothians and Border Horse, and never returned to formal education. He landed with the 2nd Lothians at Naples from North Africa in March 1944. In May, he was in the centre of the fourth and decisive battle of Monte Cassino.

On 21 April, 1945, aged 24, he was in command of C Squadron in a fierce action at Bondeno, south of Venice. An extract from his citation for the Military Cross reads "Captain Hepburne Scott led his squadron and company in support with unparalleled vigour and skill in the face of a well organised enemy. He imbued all who saw him with the will to make super-human efforts, with the result that the bridge was taken sooner than intended …"

During his time with the Lothians, he formed the regimental pipe band which eventually became the famous band of The Royal Scots Greys and now The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. He remained closely in touch with the regiment and never missed their annual remembrance parade.

After VE Day, he returned to England to join a unit training for the planned invasion of Japan. During a short leave, he heard that some friends of his parents were giving a dance for their daughter near Biggar. This was Marjorie Ross, aged just 20, whom he had never met. His bold nature served him well, for he telephoned to invite himself. The day was doubly momentous for it turned out to be VJ Day. Their third meeting, three weeks later, was a riding expedition from Biggar to Moffat and within a month they became engaged. This was a truly blessed marriage which lasted nearly 65 years. Three children were born, James, Mary and Michael.They have nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

After a short period with the Colonial Service in Northern Rhodesia, Francis and Marjorie decided that life in the tropics was not for them and he decided to retrain as a land agent, first on Clandeboye Estate, near Belfast, then Eridge Estate, near Tunbridge Wells.

In 1954, he bought Cardon near Broughton, a true hill farm which produced a respectable bag of grouse. At the same time, he was establishing his own land-agency practice, from which he managed properties all over Scotland. In 1968, this practice joined with the national firm Smiths Gore, of which he was a partner until 1971.

He then returned to private practice, serving clients in the Borders and farming at Lessudden. In 1974, he took over the tenancy of Newhouse Farm, Lilliesleaf, and later bought the farm, where he had already started a programme of improvements.

He and Marjorie then built from the remains of a neglected cottage a beautiful new family home and gradually created a truly exceptional garden.

He was an active director of the Red Cross in Roxburghshire for many years.

He enjoyed shooting, preferably rough, and fishing hill lochs. But the sporting love of his life was the Buccleuch Hunt, with which he had grown up alongside his father. He was chairman from 1988 to 1992, during which time he set the hunt on a course of renewed success with the appointment of Trevor Adams as Master.

First and last, he was a son of the soil, with a deep knowledge of the history and life of his beloved Borderland.