HE is the star of the show that has boosted Scottish tourism to new heights – and now Sam Heughan is about to be honoured in his own backyard.
The Outlander actor will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in recognition of his artistic success and charitable work.
It’s entirely appropriate that Heughan will receive his honour at the university’s Dumfries campus on July 3 as he was born in Balmaclellan in Dumfries and Galloway.
Also being honoured are Alice Thompson, co-founder of social enterprise cafe chain Social Bite; TV presenter Fiona Armstrong; and Lady MacGregor, the Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries.
Honorary doctorates will also be awarded to Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust; David Mayer de Rothschild, a British adventurer, ecologist, environmentalist and head of the charity Sculpt the Future Foundation; and Andrew Walls, convener of the Crichton Foundation.
The university said the work of those being honoured reflects the core interests of its School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Dumfries. The head of the school, Professor Carol Hill, said: “This campus has grown in influence and impact since it was opened 20 years ago in September 1999 to serve the higher education needs of Dumfries and Galloway. In this our 20th anniversary year of celebrations, we at Dumfries are delighted to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our honorary graduates, representing a range of talents, careers and charitable interests.”
Heughan graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama – now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – in 2003.
He is best known for his role as Jamie Fraser in the TV drama Outlander. In 2015 he established his own charitable foundation My Peak Challenge.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here