Well-known Renfrewshire dairy farmer, Robert Carruth, died suddenly, but peacefully at the end of last year.

He was 76.

Robert was a seventh generation dairy farmer, being raised at High Auchensale, near Kilbarchan - a farm that was to be his home for 63 years before he, and his late wife Margaret, moved to the nearby village of Quarriers in 2000.

Robert left Paisley Grammar school before his 15th birthday, returning home to start his career in farming. It was the only career he had ever wished for

During his lifetime, he built up a successful dairy farming business through hard work and investment in buildings and cow numbers.

Pedigree Holstein Friesian cows, under the Barcraig prefix, joined the long-established Auchensale Ayrshire herd in the 1970s, with Robert's son, David, taking on the running of the farm in more recent times.

Selective breeding, milk recording and diet feeding had a significant impact on cow performance and yields at Auchensale.

That approach has seen several Auchensale Ayrshire bulls enter the breed's breeding programme and he took great satisfaction in seeing four bulls bearing the Auchensale prefix included in the most recent Ayrshire Cattle Services AI stud book.

Although missing out on a college education because he was needed at home, Robert and Margaret were great supporters of the college system, with more than 20 agricultural students spending their practical year at Auchensale as they set out on their farming careers.

He was also a huge fan of the young farmers movement, being an active member of West Renfrewshire in his teens and 20s and a staunch supporter of the club's activities over many years, taking delight as his children and grand-children joined West Renfrew.

He was a long-serving committee member of Kilbarchan Show, and a regular exhibitor of stock at Kilbarchan, Kilmacolm and Houston shows. More recently, he took great pleasure in helping to organise the local Lilias Day festival in Kilbarchan.

Although cows were his first love, Robert was also involved in agri-politics from a very early stage. He chaired his local NFU Scotland branch on three occasions, was a former chairman of NFUS Inverclyde and Renfrewshire Area and represented his region on several of the union's head office committees for more than a decade.

He gave his time freely in support of his fellow farmers and found himself on various other groups and committees - West Renfrewshire Agricultural Discussion Society, Cull Cow Co-op, Agricultural Central Trading, AI committee for the Scottish Milk Marketing Board, and the Agricultural Training Board to name a few.

At the time of his death, he still represented NFU Scotland on access forums and on a committee looking at distributing LEADER funding in the area.

However, he gained most pleasure in recent years from his work with the local Royal Highland Educational Trust group, routinely visiting primary schools to help educate children on farming and food production

Robert's wife, Margaret, who was well-known in farming and Women's' Rural circles, passed away in 2008 and Robert is survived by his four children - Jimmy, Bobby, Barbara and David - their spouses and nine grand-children.

A celebration of Robert's life as a farmer, father and friend was held in Freeland Church, Bridge of Weir in December with more than 500 attending. More than £2000 was collected and the family were delighted to split the proceeds between two causes - refurbishment of the Relatives Room in the Intensive Care Unit at Paisley Royal Alexandria Hospital and the Dumbarton, Lomond and Renfrew branch of RHET.