Marshall Morrison

He died peacefully, on March 22, after a short stay in an Edinburgh care home.

Marshall was responsible for overseeing all the grain and grass seed trials on Bush Estate, near Edinburgh, for the then College of Agriculture during the 1970s and 1980s.

Many of new varieties which were brought to market were due to the meticulous and detailed research work carried out by him and his team.

Brought up on two family farms in Aberdeenshire and Morayshire, on completion of National Service with the Royal Navy, mainly in the Far East, he started a horticultural apprenticeship in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, gaining a National Diploma.

In the late 1950s, he joined the college staff at Bush Estate, where he worked until he retired in 1994.

Both Marshall and his wife, Shona - who was an equally keen gardener and who predeceased him four years ago - were very enthusiastic golfers.

Their garden at Ravelston was always a treat to see, with so many rare and unusual plants.

Marshall's valuable and generous advice was much sought after, not only farmers, but many garden lovers in and around Edinburgh.

He is survived by his two sons, Euan and Alan, their wives, Liz and Alison, and two grandchildren, James and Laura.