Robbie Glen

Robbie Glen has a dry Scottish wit and timing and an ability to read an audience which makes him one of the finest UK after dinner speakers you are ever likely to hear. He has a rare gift for making people laugh and is a great favourite on the after-dinner circuit.

Sired by an Ayrshire man out of a Renfrewshire lady Robbie was reared in Lanarkshire. He was educated at Hamilton Academy and Strathclyde University. He taught for one year in Blantyre before joining the Prison Service as an Assistant Governor in 1969.

Robbie a Fellow of the Institute of Management was Governor of Castle Huntly Young Offenders Institution – Dungavel Prison where he was Deputy and Acting Governor – along with Barlinnie Prison Glasgow. He had the pleasure of being Governor of Cornton Vale which is Scotlands only female establishment. He finally retired from the Scottish Prison Service on 4th September 1996.

William Mcllvaney based his story The Prisoner in his book of short stories entitled The Walking Wounded on him after he visited Robbie at Dungavel.

In his youth he played junior football professionally but his career was cut short tragically at an early age due to lack of ability. He still holds the Lanarkshire Schoolboy 440 yards record because it has now gone metric!

Robbie is married with two daughters with the younger of whom is profoundly handicapped. Robbie developed a walking aid for her with his staff and prisoners in 1981 and it is now being used in 41 hospitals and schools in Scotland to teach handicapped children how to walk.