MORAY FARMER Donald J (Donnie) James has died in hospital in Nairn after a short illness.

Mr James, who was 96 years of age, latterly lived at Aiten Farm, Ardersier, Inverness.

He farmed at Netherton, Forres, for 50 years from 1936 to 1986 and was the oldest member of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society. He was born at Crowhall, Dyke, and moved with his parents to Drumduan, Auldearn, in 1927 before moving to Netherton.

Mr James founded his Findhorn Aberdeen-Angus herd in 1949 with the purchase of two heifers from Georgetown, Ballindalloch, and Strathkinnes, St Andrews, and was a regular winner of the breed championship at his local show at Nairn for many years.

His record over the years between 1957 and 1984 included eight championships (including one with a cow owned by his wife) and 11 reserves.

He also won the fat cattle championship at the show in 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1953 and exhibited fat cattle at both the Royal Highland Show and the Scottish National Fat Stock Show.

He was made a life member of the Nairnshire Farmers' Society after serving 50 years as a member and after winning his first championship with a collie dog in 1932, had the unique distinction of having shown the champion in the Aberdeen-Angus, cross cattle, butchers' cattle, sheep, Clydesale horse, collie dog and seed and root sections of the show.

He served two terms on the council of the breed society in the 1960s and was a founder member of the Highland Aberdeen-Angus Club.

Mr James was predeceased by his wife, Christine, in 1989 and by both his only daughter, Donna, and her husband, John Stark, in 2009.