Scotland’s oldest ever man has celebrated his 111th birthday at his home in Perthshire.
Alf Smith marked the milestone on Friday with a clootie dumpling lunch, a colourful cake with his name on it and a message from the Queen.
Remarkably, Mr Smith, who still stays in his own house at St Madoes, shares his birthday with England’s oldest man Bob Weighton, who also turned 111.
The pair have never met, but exchange cards each year.
Mr Weighton, from Alton, Hampshire, wrote to Mr Smith and his daughter Irene Noble: “One more year goes by and I hope you are both well and able to enjoy the celebrations.”
He said his care home was throwing a party and many of his friends were invited. “As you can see… it’s all go for a while. I shall be glad to get back to normal.
“Do keep in touch, I wish we had known about each other earlier” he added, before signing off: “We did it”.
It is not known which of the duo, who have lived through two world wars, 29 general elections and in two millenniums, was born first.
Mr Smith still insists that “porridge” and a good sense of humour are key to a long life.
Ms Noble said: “He always has his porridge and says that’s what keeps him going. He stopped smoking at 80, so that helped too.”
Last year, Mr Smith was presented with a bottle of whisky from Perth and Kinross Council.
“He doesn’t drink now,” said Ms Noble. “Last year, I walked into the kitchen and I could hear this glugging noise from the living room.
“I came back through and found he had opened the bottle himself and taken a wee swig.”
Carse councillor Angus Forbes visited Alf on Friday afternoon to deliver this year’s gift of flowers.
He said: “He is a remarkable man with a great sense of spirit. They don’t make them like that anymore.”
Mr Smith was the fifth of six sons of John and Jessie Smith.
He was educated at Invergowrie Primary School and Harris Academy, Dundee.
He emigrated to Canada, along with four of his brothers, in 1927 but returned after five years and went on to drive lorries for his brother George.
During the Second World War, he was in the Home Guard and married Isobel when he was 29.
The couple went on to farm at Kinfauns where they raised two children, Irene and Allan. Mrs Smith died more than 14 years ago, aged 97.
His son Allan, who worked with his father on the farm for 40 years, died in 2016.
Mr Smith retired at the age of 70 but continued to go to the farm until well into his eighties.
