Barclays Wealth has hired Douglas Noble to help build its private banking business in Scotland. Mr Noble, a former head of private banking at HBOS, was behind the Bank of Scotland’s first private banking operation in the UK. He is leaving Adam and Company, where he has spent the last two years launching and running the Aberdeen office, to join the Edinburgh arm of Barclays Wealth in mid July. His appointment brings the total number of new hires at Barclays Wealth in Scotland to 22 over the last 12 months and follows that of Derek Weir, formerly managing director of RBS corporate banking division, who started with the company at the end of April 2007 as head of Barclays Business Banking in Scotland. Mark Little, Scotland’s regional director of Barclays Wealth, said: “Douglas is one of the doyens of private banking in Scotland and brings a wealth of experience and contacts to our business. His appointment reflects both our success to date and our aspirations.”