[1] He was one of six children of Jane (née Dunlop) and James Robertson, a miner who became a minister in the United Free Church of Scotland.
[3] His bearded, haggard face topped by a tweed trilby hat and a slow over-emphatic Scottish voice became well known (usually introducing his reportage with a characteristic "Hellooo therrr, I'm Fyfe Robertson"), which led to parodies on radio comedy shows: firstly by Bill Pertwee on Beyond Our Ken as "Rife Hoverton"; as "Forth Robinson" in The Men from the Ministry; and also by Graeme Garden (a fellow Scot) on I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, who began every item with an alleged Robertson catchphrase "I'm standing here...".
For Tonight Robertson travelled widely providing serious stories as well as finding some remarkable eccentrics; he was often described as "our roving reporter".
[3] Despite being a heavy smoker, he remained in good health and in his late 60s took part in two exhausting televised expeditions, crossing the Scottish Highlands on horseback and paddling down the Severn in a canoe.
In 1986 he experienced a heart attack shortly after appearing as a guest on This is Your Life for Cliff Michelmore and died in Eastbourne in 1987.