Lord Lieutenant appointment for Western Isles

Harris born Mr Martin lives in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.

He was appointed Clerk to the Lieutenancy in 1997. In 2002 he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant and is currently Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the Western Isles.

He has worked in a variety of posts within the Civil Service, Highlands and Islands Development Board and Western Isles Islands Council.

From July 2010 to September 2011 he was appointed as interim Chief Executive for Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Mr Martin was Chairman of the Harris Tweed Authority from 2007 to 2013 and has been Chairman of Acair Ltd, a publicly funded Gaelic bilingual publishing company since 2008.

He has been a Trustee of the Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust since 2008. He has participated in local, national and European Seminars on minority languages, especially during his time as Secretary of the UK and Scottish Committees of the European Bureau of Lesser Used Languages.

Mr Martin is a fluent Gaelic speaker and regular contributor to Gaelic radio and TV programmes.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Martin said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed by Her Majesty The Queen to succeed Sandy Matheson as Lord-Lieutenant and I look forward to serving our communities throughout the Western Isles in whatever way I can with the help of my colleagues in the Lieutenancy.

“Sandy has given a lifetime of outstanding public service, representing the Western Isles at all levels, for more than five decades.

“For the past 15 years he has fulfilled the duties of HM’s Lord-Lieutenant with dignity, integrity, dedication and energy and on behaIf of the community, I wish him well in his deserved retirement from public duties”.