From rock stars to plumbers, from authors to milkmen

ROCK star Rod Stewart and David Murray, the chairman of Rangers, lead the list of celebrities recognised for their achievements in the New Year Honours list.

Stewart, whose singing career is in its fifth decade, receives a CBE for his services to music.

Murray, who made his millions from the steel industry before buying the Ibrox club nearly 20 years ago, is awarded a knighthood for his services to the business world.

Among the other high-profile Scots on this year's list are the percussionist Evelyn Glennie, the author Alexander McCall Smith and the BBC weather forecaster Heather Reid.

Murray, 55, who was born in Ayr, said last night that the award was "a pleasant surprise and a great honour".

Murray's steel business, as well as his portfolio of mining, property and venture-capital businesses, have made him Scotland's fifth-richest man, worth £650 million.

In 1988 he bought Rangers for £6 million, becoming chairman the next year. He stepped down in July 2002 but returned to the post in the summer of 2004.

His personal life has been touched with tragedy. In 1976 he lost both his legs following a car crash and in 1992 his wife Louise died of cancer.

He set up the Murray Foundation in 1996, a charitable organisation which provides support for amputees and their families.

Last night Murray said: "The award is for business, and not sport or charity work.

"I very much look forward to going to Buckingham Palace to receive my award.

"I was obviously involved in business long before football and it is a huge Scottish success story.

"So it's time to thank all the people who have helped me. It is greatly appreciated."

Rod Stewart, 61, was born in London, but has a Scottish father and has always been fiercely proud of his roots.

He is a keen follower of the Scottish national football team, as well as the Old Firm giants Celtic.

Alexander McCall Smith, who writes the daily novel 44 Scotland Street for The Scotsman, receives a CBE for his services to literature.

McCall Smith, who took the book world by storm at the age of 50 with the widely acclaimed The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, said he was "very honoured".

"I got the letter a few weeks ago telling me about it and it came as a complete surprise," he said. "I'm delighted."

Evelyn Glennie, who becomes a dame for her services to music, was brought up on an Aberdeenshire farm and has been profoundly deaf since the age of 12.

She has received more than 70 international awards including Grammies, 15 honorary doctorates and an OBE in 1993.

She said yesterday: "I would like to thank the many individuals, both professional and personal, who over the years have made profound contributions in making my life the exciting journey it has been so far.

"There is much I still aspire to achieve, and as with all awards of recognition, this gives me the impetus to continue to try to make a difference on a global scale throughout my many fields of interest and activity."

Meteorologist Heather Reid, who is affectionately known as "Heather the Weather" by the viewers who tune in to her forecasts on Reporting Scotland,receives an OBE for her services to physics. She said: "It is a bit of a surprise.

"It's very exciting that I have been recognised for the physics work I've done and promoting science to young people is something I care very much about. I find it very rewarding so it's an added bonus.

"I used to want to be a physics teacher, so with the other work I do I get the best of both worlds."

Malcolm Dickson, the Assistant Inspector of Constabulary, is one of three Scots to receive the Queen's Police Medal.

Other well-known figures to receive honours include actor and comedian Hugh Laurie, who gets an OBE, and actress Penelope Keith, who receives a CBE for her charity work.

Johnny Briggs, who played Mike Baldwin in Coronation Street before finally leaving the soap earlier this year, receives an MBE.

Artist and promoter rewarded

RICHARD Demarco, artist and promoter, is awarded a CBE for services to the arts. Born in Portobello in 1930, he co-founded the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in 1963 and has been an influential advocate of contemporary art.

• Pat Watters, president of the local authority umbrella body COSLA, said he felt humbled to receive a CBE "for something that I enjoy doing".

• Tom Drake, the interim chief executive of the exams body the SQA, receives an OBE.

• Richard Murphy, the Edinburgh-based architect, is awarded an OBE for services to the profession.

• Christopher Minty, a special projects officer with Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, receives an MBE for his services to the conservation of the Central American rainforest.

Businessmen with links to Chancellor are honoured

TWO businessmen with links to Gordon Brown have received New Year honours writes Gerri Peev.

Michael Rake, chair of KPMG International, sits on the High Level City Group, a clique of advisers to the Chancellor. He was knighted for services to the accountancy profession, while Tom Singh, founder of New Look high street clothing stores, was given a CBE for services to the fashion industry.

Mr Singh runs Bridges Community Ventures, set up to start businesses in deprived areas four years ago with £20 million from the Treasury. His partner is Sir Ronald Cohen, founder of Apax venture capital firm, which also helped the Indian-born tycoon buy back his New Look business.

James Dyson, the vacuum cleaner tycoon, also bagged a knighthood for services to business. The billionaire hailed his 1,500 workers for turning his bagless vacuum cleaner into a "great international success" but four years ago, Tony Blair expressed his "disappointment" in Sir James's decision to axe 800 jobs in Wiltshire when he outsourced manufacturing to Malaysia.

Paul Kenny, the general secretary of the GMB, said: "Do people get a knighthood for services to exporting jobs?"

Linda Kirsten Bennett, founder of the LK Bennett shoe chain and inventor of the kitten heel, gets an OBE.