Tributes have been paid to the former leader of Argyll and Bute Council Robin Currie.

Councillor Currie, whose death was announced by the local authority on Thursday, represented the Kintyre and Islands ward and was a councillor for almost 40 years.

During this time he held several senior roles, and was the authority's leader from September 2020 until last month.

He contributed to policy and service delivery that supported life in Argyll and Bute in areas such as housing, Gaelic language, and economic development.

Councillor Jim Lynch, who replaced Cllr Currie as leader following a dramatic cut of the cards which saw a new administration take control on April 4, said: “I am shocked and extremely saddened by Robin’s passing.

“It feels almost impossible to imagine the council without him.

“He was devoted to Islay, and his huge wealth of local government experience served Argyll and Bute well in so many different ways.

“He was an inspiration in standing up for the interests of the area, of our islands and of different aspects of life that make Argyll and Bute the place he loved and believed in.

“He wanted the best for Argyll and Bute and worked tirelessly to achieve that.

“Whatever challenges he took on in the interest of our communities, he could always be relied on to bring welcome humour to situations.

“For many reasons, Argyll and Bute owes Councillor Robin Currie heartfelt thanks.

"Robin – we thank you, for everything, and we’ll miss you.”

After the previous administration of Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and independents was deposed in early April, Cllr Currie and his Lib Dem colleagues joined the new ruling coalition of SNP, Labour, Green and independent councillors, with Cllr Currie named as depute leader alongside the SNP's Audrey Forrest.

In his time as a member of the authority, Councillor Currie also served on a number of other organisations including the Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Integration Joint Board, Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership, and the Northern Roads Collaboration.

He also chaired the Financial Inclusion and Advice Group and the Argyll and Bute Strategic Housing Forum.

Chief executive Pippa Milne said: “So much of Robin’s work was about raising Argyll and Bute’s interests at national level, but his focus always remained firmly on delivering benefit for our local communities.

“He cared about people and he cared about the council’s role in making life better for everyone. He will be greatly missed.”