One of Scotland's longest-serving hotel managers, Michael Leonard of Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, will have been at the luxury hotel a quarter of a century on 2 March.
A modest and private man in his early sixties, Leonard was not keen on trumpeting his achievements over the 25 years, but those who have served alongside him were less restrained.
"Anyone who has had the pleasure of working with him will acknowledge his relentless drive towards standards and ensuring his guests return," commented Douglas Jack, manager at Kinnaird hotel, Dunkeld, Perth & Kinross, who worked with Leonard at Inverlochy Castle for nine years.
"I think it is quite remarkable that the same person can have been in charge of one of Scotland's premier country house hotels and kept it at that sort of standard for that length of time."
Jack praised both Leonard's high loyalty levels - Inverlochy has repeat visitors of 20 years' standing - and the sheer quantity of hospitality staff who have benefited from his schooling over the years, including several chefs at Kinnaird and Keith Braidwood of Braidwoods in Dalry.
Leonard, who was trained by Trusthouse Forte, was working as head waiter at the Quorn country club in Leicestershire when he was selected by Grete Hobbs as general manager for the castle she had converted into a hotel in 1968. He became managing director in the mid-1980s.
"Without him, I couldn't do this at all," she said in 1981. "We have a marvellous rapport, he wants all the same things as I do for the castle."
by Angela Frewin