Medals of honor for Macari and DJ Bowie in the King's honor list

Scottish football legend Lou Macari and radio host George Bowie are two prominent names on the list of honorees on the King's birthday. Macari was awarded an MBE for services to football and the homeless, while Clyde 1's DJ Bowie received the same honor for services to radio and charity.

George Bowie, from Greenock, is known for popularizing the Eurodance song "Bits and Pieces", a song that became a favorite of Scottish football fans every time the team scored at Hampden. Lou Macari, who played for Scotland at the 1978 World Cup, began his career at Celtic before going on to play more than 400 times for Manchester United. He joined Celtic when he was 17 years old after being discovered while playing for his school team. Macari soon became part of the 1960s reserve team, known as the "Quality Street Gang", alongside the likes of Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain.

Now 77 years old, Macari has 24 caps for Scotland and has managed many clubs, including Celtic and Stoke City, for nearly 20 years. In 2016, he founded a homeless charity called "The Macari Foundation" in his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent.

Meanwhile, the show "Bowie At Breakfast" has become an integral part of Clyde 1, and next April will mark 30 years of the DJ hosting the live show. Aged 58, Bowie is also a dance music DJ and has participated in many charity events across Scotland without receiving any compensation, helping social groups raise more than £1 million.

Reflecting on the MBE, Bowie said his mother, 88-year-old Betty, was delighted to hear about the nomination. "I can't express how much this means to her," he said. Bowie also called it a "fantastic" honor despite saying many others were more deserving and said: "I'm delighted to receive it."

The honor list also includes Professor Lucina Hackman from the University of Dundee, who was awarded the title of damehood for her contributions to forensic anthropology. She heads the Center for Anatomy and Human Identification at Dundee, where her work has transformed the way mass disaster events are investigated in the UK.

Professor Hackman has worked at the university since 2006, designing, implementing and evaluating training programs in both forensic anthropology and disaster victim identification, when no such professional approach existed. She has become a sought-after consultant to global investigative organizations, including Interpol. She has also given evidence in court relating to trauma analysis, identification and age estimation.

Many Scottish academics have also been honoured, including Professor Andrew Morris from the University of Edinburgh, who was knighted for services to medical science and public health. He is deputy vice chancellor for data and currently leads Health Data Research UK, a biomedical research institute. Previously, he was head of the department of medicine at the University of Dundee and advised the Scottish government as chief scientist in the health department.

Many individuals working for charities and the voluntary sector were also recognised, including James Coles, head of Moffat Mountain Rescue, who was awarded an MBE for services to mountain rescue work. Gordon Deans, chairman of Orkney2025, also received the same honor for his contributions to sport and island communities. Former Scotland rugby international Ian Robertson has been awarded an OBE for services to rugby and broadcasting.

Message from Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander: "I am delighted to extend my congratulations to all those Scots who have been honored in your Birthday list. With Scotland qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in decades, it is significant that Scottish football legend Lou Macari is honored by your Excellency. Macari won 24 caps for Scotland, including in the unsuccessful Argentina 1978 campaign – we are all hoping for a better result this time. The Scotland's education, science and energy sectors are well represented. I am particularly pleased to see Scotland's nuclear and renewable energy expertise recognized – as our country leads the way in the transition to clean energy."

Alexander also said: "This list is a testament to the remarkable difference that ordinary people make in their communities every day. It recognizes those who have given so much to others. Scotland is lucky to have so many remarkable people working quietly and tirelessly to make this place a better place, and it is only right that we take a moment to honor them."