£1.8m gift to 'fishing' children

Citizenship is a large part of the ethos at Gordonstoun

Children from fishing families will be able to study at a prestigious private school thanks to a £1.8m bequest.

William Wood, 71, who died last year, has donated his entire estate to the scholarship fund run by Gordonstoun School, near Elgin.

The money will pay for between five and 10 children each year to study at the boarding school, which was attended by the Prince of Wales.

Mr Wood said children from the county of Banff should be given preference.

The bequest is the largest single donation received by the school, which charges £20,000 a year per pupil.

'Wonderful thing'

Headmaster Mark Pyper said: "It is a wonderful thing to do and will help young people who would not be able to have such an education otherwise.

"I think it is a lovely thing to do."

Mr Pyper said that the school would soon be making efforts to recruit pupils from fishing families in the north east of Scotland.

Gordonstoun House, set in rural Moray

Mr Wood, from Portknockie, Moray, went to Gordonstoun for two years in the 1940s along with his brother, thanks to a scholarship programme.

Later, he joined the Merchant Navy where he served for 40 years and rose to the rank of Master before retiring and becoming harbourmaster at Buckie until about six years ago.

The former seaman, whose father was a fisherman, died in December 2003. He made his fortune by investing in stocks and bonds during his time at sea.