AN AYRSHIRE solicitor has been appointed to help serve Her Majesty The Queen’s representative across the area as clerk after her legal efforts.

Margo McGill will serve as the clerk to the Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran, Sheriff Iona McDonald OBE.

Ms McGill, whose appointment as Clerk to the Lieutenancy was announced last week, is currently head of the agriculture and estates team with Lockharts Law LLP in Ayr.

She is the only lawyer in Ayrshire to be accredited as a specialist in agricultural law by the Law Society of Scotland.

Coming from a farming background herself, Ms McGill is married to a local farmer, Robbie Scott, and they have two sons, Rory and Kyle. She is particularly well known in the farming community and has won awards for her work in this area.

Ms McGill, who grew up in Mossblown, succeeds Nigel Martin, who has been the clerk since 1987 and has served under four Lord Lieutenants - Sir Bryce Knox, Sir Richard Henderson, John Duncan and now Sheriff McDonald.

Mr Martin is well known in the area both through his work as a solicitor and through his voluntary work for local charities.

He was awarded an MBE in 2008 for services to the local community.

Sheriff McDonald said: “I cannot thank Nigel enough for his loyalty, support and dedication to the Lieutenancy.

“His intimate knowledge of royal protocols and procedures will be sadly missed. I look forward to working with Margo and I am sure that she will be a great asset to the Lieutenancy.”

Ms McGill can be contacted with lieutenancy enquiries at margomcgill@lockhartslaw.com.