Former Inverness pharmacist and linguist John Cameron has died aged 73.
He held the Vantage franchise in Greig Street in the city for several years from 1990.
John then went on to carry out locum work at pharmacies all over Scotland.
His wife Linda, who died in 2019, was also a well respected pharmacist and worked for the NHS from Dingwall.
Beginnings
John was born in Inverness to Hazel and John Cameron of Dornoch.
When he was four, the family moved to Leicestershire when John senior joined the police.
He started primary school there before the family returned to Camore, near Dornoch, in 1958 where he completed his education at Dornoch Primary School then Dornoch Academy.
The family lived in Embo between 1962 and 1968 when they moved to Dornoch and, in 1973, to Dingwall.
Higher education
John went on to study pharmacy at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
His son, Angus, said his father had always taken a keen interest in languages and combined his study of pharmacy with courses in modern languages.
Linguist
Over the years he became fluent in French, German and Russian. Although not a native Gaelic speaker, he had a knowledge of the language.
After he graduated, John moved to Kent for a year to to gain further qualifications with the Wellcome pharmaceutical firm and it was during his time there he met fellow Scot, Linda McWee of Glasgow, who was undertaking similar studies.
Marriage
The couple married and went on to have two of a family, Angus and Fraser.
They returned to Scotland to practise pharmacy first in Linlithgow and then in Lenzie before John took over the Inverness shop and Linda joined the NHS.
A great fascination and passion for John was the different cultures and languages of the world.
Before he and Linda visited any country he would make sure he had learnt the basics of the language and had a room full of language text books.
Travel
John had always taken an interest in Russian culture and art and shortly before Linda died, the couple travelled to St Petersburg.
Angus said although his father did not attend church he considered himself a Christian and also enjoyed learning about other faiths and beliefs.