A TYCOON who transformed his family farm into Scotland's leading ice cream business left a £2.7 million fortune.

Maitland Mackie was chairman of the Mackie's ice cream company and the third generation of an entrepreneurial farming family – always headed by a Maitland.

Mr Mackie, who owned the firm, was also rector of Aberdeen University and a former vice president of the National Farmers Union in Scotland.

He was also a Liberal Democrat candidate in the first Scottish Parliament elections but he failed to make it to Holyrood.

Mr Mackie, of Rothienorman, Aberdeenshire, died in May 2014 aged 76 after a short illness.

His published will has now revealed he left an estate valued at £2,646,401 at the time of his death.

Legal papers show he had land and property worth £1.5m, furniture and personal items valued at £20,000, a £3,000 Toyota car and a private registration plate, 6200 MM, worth £2,000.

He also had £120,000 in various bank accounts and £1m in Mackie's shares.

Mr Mackie ordered his estate be divided between his three children.

Raised on the family farm near Rothienorman, Mr was the son of Sir Maitland Mackie, whose father Dr Maitland Mackie had farmed in the north-east from the late 19th century.

Educated at Daviot Primary and Aberdeen Grammar Schools, he graduated from Aberdeen University with a BSc in agriculture in 1958.

He developed the family business to become a major farm and milk retailing business with a multi-million pound turnover providing jobs for 250 locals.

He later sold the farm's milk retailing section and invested in a modern ice cream dairy. It now has 45 per cent of Scotland’s premium ice cream market. The firm also diversified into potato crisps which it currently exports to more than 20 countries.

Mr Mackie's Norwegian wife Halldis predeceased him.

In 1998 his son Mac took over as managing director and it remains a family business with daughters Karin and Kirstin both holding senior posts.