OBE tops remarkable year for David Rae OBE, FRSE


The award is seen as a fitting tribute marking the end of a remarkable year for Rae (59) who, in spring, became the first horticulturist to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). He retired from RBGE in October to take up the post of Director for the Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust.

Rae joined RBGE as a lecturer in the School of Horticulture in 1978. He also served as Conservation Coordinator and completed an MSc and PhD, through part-time research, in 1985 and 1995 respectively, before taking up the post of Director in 2000. By this time, he had already played an important role in launching the careers of hundreds of horticulturists.

In his new role as Director at RBGE, Rae rose in status as a leading member of the international horticultural community. He has served as UK representative on the European Botanic Garden Consortium and, in 2003, he launched Sibbaldia, the journal of botanic garden horticulture. He is currently Honorary President of PlantNetwork- the Plant Collections Network of Britain and Ireland – and on the Board of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii. And St Andrew’s Botanic Garden. Under his guidance, Edinburgh has pioneered new standards of curatorship making it a leader among the world’s botanic gardens – with the widest education programme of any. He also holds the Scottish Horticultural Medal of Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (RCHS).

Paying tribute to David Rae, RBGE Regius Keeper Simon Milne MBE commented: “David has inspired a whole generation of horticulturists, is a national and international leader of his profession and has contributed so much to plant conservation and the work of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. I am so pleased that he has been bestowed with this well-deserved honour.”