Funeral for 'national treasure' Robbie Shepherd

Veteran broadcaster Robbie Shepherd was described as a "national treasure" during his funeral service.

Mourners gathered on Friday to pay their respects to the man who hosted BBC Radio Scotland's Take the Floor for 35 years.

Mr Shepherd, who died in last week aged 87, was born in Dunecht, Aberdeenshire, and championed north-east Scotland's Doric dialect.

He was also a regular commentator for the Braemar Gathering.

The annual Highland Games event was attended by members of the Royal family, including the late Queen.

Mr Shepherd had presented Take the Floor since the early 1980s, with thousands of listeners tuning in on Saturday evenings.

He retired from the Scottish dance music show in 2016 and the then first minister Nicola Sturgeon was among those who paid tribute. She described him as a broadcasting legend.

Rev Sheila Mitchell told mourners at Echt Kirk in Aberdeenshire that Mr Shepherd led a "truly remarkable life with absolute dedication to his art".

She added: "He was a man of great grace, humility, humour, knowledge and great intellect."

Mr Shepherd's friend Robert Lovie also paid tribute to him during the service.

"A distinctive Scottish voice may be silent, but we'll still hear Robbie Shepherd in our hearts for years," he said.

"He was living national treasure. A real lad of pairts."

He ended his tribute as Mr Shepherd ended his Take the Floor show every week: "We'll be looking for you Robbie Shepherd. And a' the best til then."

Mr Shepherd's work was recognised with an MBE, and he was also inducted into a hall of fame by the Trad Music Awards.

His career included stints on BBC Scotland's Beechgrove Garden and presenting televised sheepdog trials.

As well as his broadcast work, Mr Shepherd was a regular commentator on the Highland Games circuit, including Oldmeldrum Sports and Highland Games.

He wrote books on Scottish dance music and Scottish country dancing, and a newspaper column in Doric.