Hugh Lang, a former director of Scottish Tanning Industries, died peacefully on February 23, 2005 at the Royal  Alexandra Hospital, Paisley. He was in his 80th year.

A very private person who was well-known for his dry sense of humour, Hugh Lang made a wide contribution to the leather industry serving on a variety of committees of The British Leather Manufacturers Research Association and the British Leather Federation. He was also chairman of the Scottish Leather Producers’ Association.

Born in Paisley on May 26, 1925 he was the eldest of two children of ex-Provost, Baillie James Lang OBE. He was educated at Hurst Grange School, Stirling and Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh where he excelled in sport, notably shooting.

From school Hugh Lang joined the Royal Corps of Signals 1942 serving in India, Burma and Malaysia returning in 1947.

In 1948 he went to Leeds University and studied in the Leather Department. Thereafter he joined the family leather manufacturing business of W J & W Lang Limited in Paisley where he became a director in 1953 and managing director in 1981 prior to his retirement in 1985.

In 1965 he was appointed a director of Scottish Tanning Industries Limited which formed the parent company of Bridge of Weir Leather Company Limited, NCT Leather Limited, Andrew Muirhead & Son Limited and W J & W Lang Limited. Hugh ‘shunned the limelight’ and chose to focus on engineering and technical matters. He was always quick to adapt new technologies to leather manufacturing.