John Lloyd, who turned to politics after a career as a British Airways pilot, has died in Orkney aged 80.
He worked for BA’s Highland division based in Aberdeen, flying to the Northern Isles, Western Isles, Bergen and several airports in England.
John had been inspired to pursue a flying career by his pilot father-in-law who joined 617 Squadron (The Dambusters) just after the famous 1943 raid.
Politics
In 1994 John was elected to Tayside Regional Council as an SNP member. He later served on Perth and Kinross Council before quitting the SNP and being elected twice as an independent councillor.
His family came from Manchester, where his father was a civil engineer and his mother was a midwife, and he spent some of his younger life in Cumbria.
In the early 1960s he trained as a pilot at Perth and later had a spell flying Dakotas in North Africa.
He was then offered a sponsorship by Cambrian Airways, which was 50% owned by BA’s predecessor companies, and returned to Perth to qualify for his full British pilot’s licence.
John began flying Viscounts in and out of Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh and to Prestwick which at that time was a hub for transatlantic flights.
When Cambrian was fully taken over by BA in 1982 he joined the Highland division and settled in Scone with his wife Carolle Anne. The couple had two of a family, Jamie and Charlotte.
Shortly before his retiral in 1996, John was elected to Tayside Regional Council then Perth and Kinross Council.
Administration
He became convener of roads, transport and architectural services but quit the SNP administration in 1998 following a row over a multi-storey car park design.
By that time, John had been an SNP member for 18 years and had campaigned for the party during the 1974 General Election when it made a major breakthrough.
The following year he stood as an independent in the Dunsinnan ward and was elected. Four years later he increased his majority and went on to hold a convernership on the council before standing down in 2007.
Orkney
He was predeceased by his wife and later moved to Kirkwall where he lived for 12 years with his partner Sandra Linklater.
John was a supporter of Perthshire and Orkney rugby clubs, Scottish rugby in general and the Campaign for Real Ale.
Admiration
He loved Orkney and its people and his funeral took place in St Magnus Cathedral, a building he adored.
The last 12 years of his life were spent between Orkney, Perth and his late parents’ home in Cumbria.
His friend, Peter Glennie, said John continued to campaign for Scottish independence, took part in marches and was active in Pensioners for Independence.