Fiona Gore, Countess of Arran

Fiona Bryde Gore, Countess of Arran (née Colquhoun; 20 July 1918 – 16 May 2013) was a Scottish powerboating racer who was awarded the 1980 Segrave Trophy.[1] She held the record for the fastest woman on water.

World Record

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In 1980 she became the fastest woman on water, reaching a speed of 102 mph (164 km/h) in a powerboat on Lake Windemere.[2][3]

Marriage

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Gore was born to Geraldine Bryde Tennant and her husband Iain Colquhoun, Baronet.[4][5] By her marriage to Arthur Gore, 8th Earl of Arran, she was Countess of Arran. She had two sons, the oldest Arthur Gore, 9th Earl of Arran.[1]

Powerboating background

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Fiona Colquhoun was introduced to speedboats when she was a passenger in Miss England III in its trial runs on Loch Lomond.[1]


Inchconnachan Wallabies

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Wallabies, of the species Macropus rufogriseus (Red-necked Wallaby), were introduced by Gore in the 1940s to Inchconnachan, an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland, and still roam wild.[6] It is one of the very few places outside Australia which has a viable population of wallabies.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Obituaries: The Countess of Arran". The Daily Telegraph. 7 June 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  2. ^ James, Mike. "Fiona, Lady Arran". Classicoffshore.com. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Lady Fiona Gore (1918–2013), The Countess of Arran's, 1980 Segrave Trophy '100mph on Water' plaque and other powerboat trophies and awards". Bonhams. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  4. ^ Sampson, Annabel (29 July 2020). "The Scottsh island that belonged to the champion powerboating Countess is on sale for £500k". Tatler. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  5. ^ Steven, Alasdair (10 June 2013). "Obituary: Countess Arran, power-boat champion". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  6. ^ The Sunday Times January 23, 2022, page 3
  7. ^ "Loch Lomond Islands: Inchconnachan". Loch Lomond.net. Retrieved 5 November 2014.