The chairman of NHS Tayside has retired after more than seven years in the post.
Sandy Watson, who was awarded an OBE in 2003, brought to a close nearly five decades of service at an event at Ninewells Hospital.
NHS Tayside chief executive Lesley McLay praised Mr Watson’s “immense contribution” to health services and said he would be “truly missed”.
She said: “Always resolute in his belief that NHS Tayside is one of the best health systems in the country, he has helped this organisation achieve all of its goals with his exceptional leadership of the board.
“Sandy always puts staff and patients first in everything he does.
“You will more likely find him out and about meeting staff and learning about the day-to-day running of departments and meeting patients across Tayside than sitting behind his desk reviewing board papers.”
An honours graduate of Glasgow University in classics and education, Mr Watson taught in Crieff, Portree and Callander before going into the education directorate in central region in October 1975.
He was president of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland from 1992 to 1993 and then became the association’s general secretary.
He succeeded Robert Black, the first Auditor General for Scotland, as chief executive of Tayside Regional Council in December 1994, and was appointed chief executive of the new Angus Council in May 1995 on the reorganisation of local government in Scotland. He retired from this post in 2005.
Mr Watson has also been chairman of the National Group for Volunteering in Scotland and is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Abertay Dundee.