He fought in the Second World War with the Royal Artillery from 1940,[1] winning the Military Cross and Bar.

[2] Invalided out in 1947 with the honorary rank of major, he served the Foreign Office in New York and Vienna until 1957.

During his term in office the issues of fishing and oil led to him losing his Moray coastal seat to the SNP.

Papers from 1970 revealed how the Scottish Office was prepared to have a "weaker and less efficient national fleet"[3] to enable the UK to sign up to the controversial Common Fisheries Policy.

[6] He became Chairman of the Scottish Board in 1976, and was Vice President of the Advisory Committee on Pollution at Sea from 1976 to 1984.