A FORMER Helensburgh councillor has led the tributes to Argyll and Bute’s late Provost, Len Scoullar, who died at the weekend.

Mr Scoullar, who lived in Rothesay, passed away on Sunday, November 15, aged 81, following a battle with illness.

Former Helensburgh councillor Billy Petrie, who served alongside Mr Scoullar on the council for 13 years, described him as “a gentleman and a model councillor”.

He had been the council’s Provost since October 2013 and a councillor, representing people in Rothesay and on the island of Bute, since 1999.

His deputy and the chair of his local area committee have also been among those paying tribute.

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Mr Petrie, who was the council’s convener and provost for many years until his retirement in 2012, said: “I knew Len for a good number of years. I used to know him when I was chair of the tourist board and it had premises in Rothesay.

“What I always think of, when I think about him, is a gentleman, and when he entered the council, he was a model councillor.

“He did a great deal for his community, and when I was provost, he always acted in a commendable state whenever this or that was being discussed.

“He looked after his community very well.”

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Depute Provost Roddy McCuish, who had been chairing virtual council meetings during Mr Scoullar’s absence, said: “Len will be remembered most by many not just as the provost, but as a great provost.

“His devotion to the area, his care for other people, and his drive to make a positive difference made him perfect for the role. I was proud to be his deputy.

“All our thoughts and sympathies go to his family He will be missed by us all.”

Councillor Bobby Good, chair of the authority’s Bute and Cowal area committee, of which Mr Scoullar was a member as a councillor for the Isle of Bute ward, added: “Len will be very sadly missed by us all. He was a superb Provost and passionate about Argyll and Bute.

“Len was a real gentleman, easy to work with and a great contributor – not just at the area committee but at the council itself.

“He treated all with the utmost respect and kindness. A really good man, it’s a privilege to have known him.”

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