Obituary - Ruthven Milne, master kilt-maker

Died: April 26, 2018

RUTHVEN Milne, who has died aged 90, was a master kilt-maker who, having grown up in Australia, became a well-known figure in the industry in Scotland, manufacturing and supplying kilts and other regalia to buyers around the world, including celebrities such as Michael Caine and Roger Moore. Originally based in Blairgowrie, his firm Piob Mhor expanded to include Nicoll Brothers, one of the oldest established sporran makers, and the respected Glasgow firm Thomas Gordon and Sons.

Born in 1928, Ruthven Frank Pirie Milne was the son of a shoemaker and spent his formative years in Armadale in New South Wales, where he lived with his grandmother, mother, father, two sisters and his aunts. It was here that his passion for all things Scottish was formed. His family line originated in Huntly and Dunfermline and Ruthven always considered himself more Scottish than Australian.

After attending college to study tool making, he joined the Army in 1944.

He was keen to see combat but that was soon put to rest when his mother called the army, quite angry, and informed them that he was in fact underage.

He remained in the army and became a PT instructor, before being discharged on medical grounds in 1947.

He went on to meet a woman by the name of Mrs McArthur who had been trained in kilt making in Glasgow before she emigrated to Australia. She taught Ruthven to make kilts and it turned out he was extremely skilled at the craft and he continued to produce kilts for the rest of his life. He had also been playing the bagpipes since the age of nine and went on to become a founding member of the Hills District Pipe Band in Sydney.

He met his wife Gwen in the 1940s when they were in the Petersham Pipe Band; they were both teenagers and passionate pipers and their life long relationship was sparked from there.

They married in 1951 in Hurstville New South Wales and 14 months later saw the birth of their son Eoin who was then followed by five daughters, Anne, Janet, Dianne, Cathie and Heather.

Having a strong work ethic, Mr Milne worked as a sign writer during the day and as a kilt-maker in the evenings and at weekends to support his young family.

He and Gwen established their own kilt making business in Australia in the 1960s under the name Highland Crafts. In the 1970s the family moved to Scotland where they settled in Blairgowrie and established a larger business, Piob Mhor.

Over the next 40 years or so they grew the business into a large and flourishing enterprise manufacturing and supplying kilts, plaids, bagpipes, feather bonnets and all other highland regalia to customers throughout Scotland, Europe, USA and the far East and Australia.

They went on to purchase another business, Nicoll Brothers in Perth and in 1992 they then acquired Thomas Gordon and Sons in Glasgow.

Mr Milne was an extremely skilled and enthusiastic man who always strove to provide his customers with the highest quality products and service. During hid time as a master kilt maker, he supplied all manner of highland dress wear to Scottish regiments, the RAF, movie stars and well known personalities including Michael Caine, Roger Moore, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Darius and Fish.

Mr Milne was very inquisitive and always wanted to know how things worked and how they were put together, so he would regularly be seen taking things apart and trying his hand at making something new.

He was so enthusiastic about his work that he often gave talks and demonstrations to groups, including Gleneagles Hotel, Clan Rattray Society, WRI and the like. He also gave tours of the factory where along side his craftmanship, several irons, boilers and steamers could be seen, taken apart and in pieces, where he had never quite had the time to put them all back together again.

Mr Milne also spent time teaching people to play the bagpipes; he travelled to Switzerland where he taught the members of the Basle Pipe Band; he also taught at Blairgowrie High School and Robert Douglas Memorial School in Scone.

Always dressed in his kilt, he was a well known figure around the town, elsewhere in Scotland and further afield. He always had the time to stop and speak to anyone and everyone and will be greatly remembered for his beaming smile. If you ever asked Mr Milne how he was, you would always get the same reply, "Not bad for a lad."

He led a full and knowledgeable life, he loved his family and liked nothing better than when they could all gather together for any occasion. He was always inquisitive as to how everyone was getting on and he was very proud of each and every one.

He is survived by his wife, son, daughters, 13 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.