[3] During his schooling days, Shaw was not encouraged to attend university - partially as a result of his accent - despite a passion for science.

[5] However, after some encouragement from his dad, Shaw became a science student at Glasgow University, graduating with the first of four degrees he would complete - including a later doctorate.

His student placements for ministry were at the churches of: Motherwell: Dalziel, Hamilton: Gilmour and Whitehill, as well as East Kilbride: West.

[7] As part of his year of being Moderator, he preached at St Giles Cathedral on the Sunday during General Assembly Week, which happened to be Pentecost.

The service was attended by that year's Lord High Commissioner, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh.

He visited Thondwe in Malawi to open a replaced bridge funded by the twinned Scottish community of Innerleithen, Traquair and Walkerburn.