Adam Robert Bruce CStJ WS (born 18 January 1968) is a Scottish solicitor, and businessman who serves as an officer of Arms at the Court of the Lord Lyon.

Adam Bruce
Born
Adam Robert Bruce

(1968-01-18) 18 January 1968 (age 56)
Edinburgh, Scotland
NationalityScottish
EducationGlenalmond College
Alma materBalliol College, Oxford
University of Edinburgh
Occupation(s)Solicitor and businessman.
Spouse
Maria Sofia Giovanna Rosa Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte
(m. 2003)
Children2
Parents

Education edit

Bruce was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] He is the second son of Andrew Bruce, 11th Earl of Elgin, and Victoria Usher.[2] He was educated at Glenalmond College.[1] Bruce went up to Balliol College to read history, and while at the University of Oxford he was elected as the President of the Oxford Union in 1989. He also took a law degree at the University of Edinburgh.

Career edit

Formerly a solicitor with McGrigors in Edinburgh, where he was Director of Public Policy, Bruce now works in the global renewable energy sector, having been UK chief executive of Airtricity and the first Chairman of RenewableUK, formerly the British Wind Energy Association.

Until 2023, he was global head of corporate affairs at Mainstream Renewable Power,[3] and from 2009 to 2015 was a director of the Friends of the Supergrid.[4] In October 2012 he was appointed chairman of the UK Government's Offshore Wind Programme Board.[5] He is currently a vice-Chair of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).[6]

In 2008 Bruce was appointed an officer of arms at the Lyon Court as Unicorn Pursuivant. In April 2012 he was promoted to the position of Marchmont Herald. He was previously Finlaggan Pursuivant (private officer of arms to the Clan Donald), in which role he was installed in 2005 by Godfrey Lord MacDonald. This marked a reinstatement of the traditional MacDonald heraldic role after a break of 510 years.[7]

Bruce is also a Trustee of the St Andrews Fund for Scots Heraldry and a former Member of the Council of the Society of Writers to HM Signet.[8]

He sits on a number of advisory bodies, including the Development Board of Oxford University's Maths, Physics and Life Sciences Division. He became a Trustee of National Museums Scotland in April 2017 and his term of appointment runs until September 2023.[9]

In 2016 Bruce narrated a three-part series for UCV TV of Chile on the life of his ancestor Admiral Lord Cochrane.[10]

Family edit

On 17 May 2003, he married Maria Sofia Giovanna Rosa Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte, a younger daughter of the 13th Prince of Belmonte. They live in Edinburgh and have two children.[2]


Arms edit

Coat of arms of Adam Bruce
 
Notes
Mr Bruce's Arms are a cadet version of the chiefly Arms of the Name of Bruce, with a gold border for a second son using the Stoddart system. The undifferenced arms belong to the Chief of the Name, the Earl of Elgin, Mr Bruce's father.[11]
Adopted
Matriculated by him in 1987
Crest
Above the shield is placed an Helm befitting his degree with a Mantling Gules doubled Or, and on a Wreath of the Liveries is set for Crest a lion statant quardant tail extended Azure armed and langued Gules.
Escutcheon
Or, a saltire and chief Gules, on a canton Argent a lion rampant Azure armed and langued of the Second, all within a bordure of the First.
Motto
ADSUMUS

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Macalister, Terry (30 May 2008). "Energy boss with the wind in his sails". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Cracroft's Peerage". Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  3. ^ Mainstream website
  4. ^ Friends of the Supergrid
  5. ^ DECC Offshore Wind Programme Board announcement October 2012 Archived 23 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ GWEC website
  7. ^ "Finlaggan Installation". Archived from the original on 1 January 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2007."Newspage 3". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2007. Installation of Clan Donald Officer of Arms by Gordon Casely
  8. ^ "Office holders". wssociety. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Adam Bruce". National Museums Scotland. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  10. ^ Cochrane, capitan de mar y Guerra
  11. ^ "Marchmont". www.courtofthelordlyon.scot. Retrieved 20 November 2018.