Tributes have been flooding in following the death of one of the first SNP politicians to be elected to the House of Commons.
Hamish Watt was educated in Moray at Keith Grammar School before going on to be one of several SNP politicians to be elected to the UK Parliament in 1974.
Mr Watt had served on Banffshire County Council before his election. After serving one term at Westminster he returned to local politics, serving on both the Moray District Council and Grampian Regional Council.
He lived in Portgordon and came from a farming background with a son still farming next to Buckie.
Mr Watt’s daughter, Maureen Watt, is the current SNP MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine. Paying tribute to her father she said: “I will miss his wise counsel and am sad that he will not be around to see the ultimate goal of Scotland becoming an independent country after we vote Yes in September.”
Leading the tributes was Moray’s Angus Robertson MP, who said: “Hamish represented Banffshire and Moray as an MP and as a Councillor respectively and was a passionate advocate in all the roles that he undertook in public life.
“He was in regular contact with me expressing his views on community issues and maintaining a strong interest in both local and national politics on a whole range of issues.
“Hamish is a sad loss to Moray and to the SNP and he will be missed by family and friends alike.”
Joining the tributes, local MSP Richard Lochhead added: “The loss of Hamish is a sad day for the many, many people who have come into contact with him over the years.
“Hamish put a power of work in over his life, particularly in his roles in public service as an MP and as a District and a Regional Councillor.
“He continued to actively pursue many local issues and particularly those affecting the agricultural sector both here in Moray and across Scotland.
“He made a massive contribution to the SNP’s growth in the 1970s and helped to build up the SNP in Moray. He will be sadly missed.”