Tributes posted on passing of Allan Bantick OBE - strath's wildlife champion
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The sad news of the death of strath wildlife hero Allan Bantick at 81 has prompted a flood of tributes.
Boat of Garten Community Group posted the announcement on Friday afternoon on behalf of his widow, Heather.
"Allan died yesterday evening.The funeral will be very private but there will be a celebration of his life on January 27 in the village that all are invited to. More details to follow."
Another post said: "There is no easy way to tell everybody this but Allan died last night of the pulmonary fibrosis that has so debilitated him for the past couple of years."
Father and grandfather Allan Bantick had a long, eventful life which took many turns and celebrated a huge variety of talents, but in his latter years he was most noted for his remarkable career in conservation.
He was awarded the OBE in 2014.
He played significant roles in holding the chairs of a variety of important wildlife organisations including the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Scottish Beaver Trial. He was also vice-chair of Scottish Badgers.
As a founder member of the National Species Reintroduction Forum he got the movement under way, while also finding time to serve on the Scottish Biodiversity Committee.
His own Cairngorm Wildlife, based at Craigie Avenue, Boat of Garten, was hugely popular with so many lovers of wildlife, notably badgers.
"We will always associate him with the badger hide. He made it possible for so many to enjoy a peek into their lives." (James Dunbar)
"So sorry to hear the news. We spent a wonderful evening with Allan in the badger hide where he shared his incredible knowledge." (Pamela Ward)
"He’ll be sorely missed by the village - and the squirrels!! I have fond memories of him telling me all about the squirrels and birds as he was topping up the feeders at the Hall." (Emma Paterson)
"Sorry to hear - a brave and long fought battle. He will be remembered as the determined, nature loving man he was."
(Joanna Blair).
Mr Bantick also sat on the board of the Biffa Award, which funds community projects across Scotland, and on the advisory board of Scottish Badgers.
After growing up in London during the second war, he spent 20 years in the RAF.
On leaving the RAF in 1983 he built a recording studio which he operated during the day while at night would sing and play in the hotels to tourists on the bus tours.
His 20-year career as a musician and record producer saw him work with a range of well-known musicians.
His love of outdoor pursuits led to his serving in the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team.
The first direct engagement with the local wildlife came in 1995 through badgers, primarily in connection with Strathspey Badger Hide, but also through Scottish Badgersm, the national protection body for the species. That led to further work with other environmentalists on species such as otters, crested tits, goldeneye, red squirrels and ospreys.
As chairman of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s council he served the maximum permitted term of six years, vacating the post in September 2014. The position involved working with royalty, government officials and Ministers at both Scottish and UK levels as well as managing the governance of the Trust, sitting on the Scottish Biodiversity Committee and serving on the council of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts.
He said in December that year: “The award of the OBE is a great honour for me and my family. The award is intended to reflect my part in the achievements of the several organisations with which it has been my privilege to work over the last two decades.
"In particular I salute the Scottish Wildlife Trust, who due to the dedication, professionalism, passion and loyalty of its staff, trustees and members has secured its place as the most effective wildlife conservation body in Scotland.
“For my own part, I could not have begun to deal with the challenges of recent years without the unstinting support of my wife, Heather. From the very first she believed in me, encouraged my participation at ever more senior levels and provided a solid home base for me to return to after each episode. Heather deserves to be recognised in her own right.
“As to the future, I shall use this award in every way I can to continue to work for the benefit of Scotland’s amazing wildlife.”
Only last month his own account of his career was published via Cairngorm Wildlife, in which he asked:
"How on earth did this all happen!
"I grew up in war-torn London, joined the Royal Air Force at age 17 and became a PT Instructor, specialising in outdoor pursuits and aircrew survival with a dash of mountain rescue in my spare time.
"After retiring in 1983 I built a recording studio in Grantown and to pay for it all I sang my little heart out at night for the grannies on the bus tours up and down Strathspey.
"Such a background hardly seems ideal preparation for a career in wildlife conservation..."
