Tributes to Sir Alex Fergusson at memorial service
Hundreds of people have attended a memorial service for former Holyrood Presiding Officer Sir Alex Fergusson.
The former Conservative MSP died last month after a short illness at the age of 69.
His life was remembered at a service at Kirkcudbright Parish Church, Dumfries and Galloway, on Friday.
It was a huge honour to give one of the eulogies today at the moving but uplifting memorial service for one of my dear friends, Sir Alex Fergusson. Quite simply the most thoroughly decent man I've ever known. https://t.co/5yEUAgdOaPpic.twitter.com/AoeGOtxWx7
-- David Mundell (@DavidMundellDCT) August 17, 2018
Those attending included Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, Deputy First Minister John Swinney, current Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh and former Presiding Officer Lord David Steel.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said he was honoured to give a eulogy at what he described as a "moving but uplifting" service.
He paid tribute to Sir Alex as a "loving husband and family man, true friend, self-identifying amateur politician, devoted constituency MSP, distinguished Presiding Officer of our Scottish Parliament, champion of rural Scotland and the most thoroughly decent man I've ever known".
Flags @ScotParl have been lowered today as a mark of respect for former colleague and Presiding Officer, Sir Alex Fergusson, who died last month. A memorial service for Sir Alex is being held this morning at Kirkcudbright Parish Church. pic.twitter.com/PC1PLDXiNn
-- PO Ken Macintosh MSP (@KenMacintoshMSP) August 17, 2018
Flags at the Scottish Parliament were lowered to half-mast on Friday as a mark of respect.
Sir Alex stood down from Holyrood in 2016 after 17 years as an MSP and was knighted for services to politics and public life in the same year.
He served as the Parliament's third Presiding Officer from 2007 to 2011.
A hill farmer by trade, he was first elected for the South of Scotland region and later became MSP for the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale constituency, re-drawn in 2011 as Galloway and West Dumfries.