Obituary

Lt Cdr Dairmid Gunn OBE 

It is with deep respect that we record the life and legacy of Lieutenant Commander Dairmid Gunn OBE, whose death in January 2026 (aged 92) marks the passing of a remarkable Scottish public servant, scholar and cultural bridge-builder.

Dairmid Gunn’s life was defined by service — to his country, to international understanding, and to the life of the mind.

His distinguished career began when he entered the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth as an executive officer cadet in 1949. After graduation he served for more than twenty years in the Royal Navy, seeing active service in Korea and in the Mediterranean at Port Said and Cyprus during pivotal moments of mid-20th-century history. He pursued advanced language study, spending two years learning Russian at London University and in Paris, a decision that would shape much of his later work. In the 1960s he served as a naval attaché in the British embassies in Moscow and Helsinki, representing the United Kingdom at a sensitive time during the Cold War and deepening his understanding of Russian language and culture.

After leaving full-time naval service in 1973, he channeled his leadership and organisational skills into the agricultural and commercial sectors in Scotland. He became director of an organisation dedicated to improving the commercial position of Scottish farmers in the United Kingdom and European Union, and in 1988 he coordinated the British Food and Farming Campaign in Scotland. For these services he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1990 New Year Honours.

Dairmid’s deep engagement with Russia and Scottish-Russian cultural relations was another defining strand of his life. In 1980 he became chairman of the Scottish branch of the GB-USSR Association, a non-political organisation devoted to fostering cultural relations between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, he continued this work as chairman and later vice-president of the Scotland-Russia Forum, promoting mutual understanding through dialogue, cultural exchange, and shared history. In recognition of his long-standing contributions to cultural relations between Scotland and Russia, he was awarded the Pushkin Medal by the Russian government in 2018, a state honour recognising achievements in arts, culture and education.

He was also a renowned literary custodian and interpreter. Dairmid served as literary executor of the estate of his uncle, the distinguished Scottish author Neil M. Gunn, and contributed many articles and booklets on Gunn’s life and work, ensuring that his literary legacy remained alive for new generations.

His passion for culture extended into academic and public forums. He participated in university symposia, such as one on cultural perception between Scotland and Russia, and delivered numerous lectures exploring the intersections of literature, national identity and cross-cultural influence.

In parallel with these pursuits he was deeply committed to the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club, serving on its Council from 1988 until 2020 and as Chairperson from 1999 to 2002. He delivered ten memorable lectures to the Club, blending historical insight with cultural breadth. His talks ranged from Scott’s perceptions of Russia and the Highlands to explorations of Scott’s influence on Russian literature and the works of Pushkin.

Lieutenant Commander Gunn’s life was characterised by a rare combination of service, scholarship, and international engagement. He operated comfortably across the worlds of military service, civic life, cultural diplomacy and literary study, always guided by integrity, intellectual curiosity and a desire to build understanding between peoples and traditions.

He will be remembered not only for his accomplishments, but for the quiet generosity, patience and clarity of mind with which he pursued them. His legacy endures in the organisations he strengthened, the audiences he educated, and the institutions that benefited from his steadfast commitment.