The graduation season is almost upon us, with all of Scotland's universities bestowing honorary doctorates on a raft of eminent people, quite apart from recognising the hard work of ordinary students.
Some of the "honoraries" are global names in their academic spheres; others are local men and women who've made good without the benefit of a conventional higher education; and others again are, well, celebrities.
BBC broadcaster Jackie Bird has now joined the ranks of those who can call themselves "Dr" after she received a Doctor of Letters from Glasgow University. Among other graduands at the Bute Hall on Wednesday were Rolf-Dieter Heuer, director-general of the CERN Institute in Geneva, responsible for the Hadron Collider.
So which other famous faces have been given degrees by Scotland's universities? Here are some who've received the academic limelight over the past five years.
Aberdeen
- Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sachs
- Rugby player Chris Cusiter
- Scientist Lord Robert Winston
- Composer James MacMillan
- Scientist Richard Dawkins
- Businessman Moir Lochhead
- Broadcaster Edi Stark
- Businessman Martin Gilbert
- Financier Susan Rice
- Naturalist Sir David Attenborough
- Rower Sir Steve Redgrave
- Novelist Ali Smith
Abertay
- Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes
- Actor Tony Roper
- Broadcaster Eddie Mair
- Businessman Bill Gammell
- Artist John Lowrie Morrisson
- Journalist Brian Taylor
- Boxer Dick McTaggart
- Astronaut Alvin Drew
- Historian Neil Oliver
Dundee
- Novelist Rosamunde Pilcher
- Musician Nick Cave
- Football manager Jim McLean
- Artist John Byrne
Edinburgh
- Artist John Byrne
- Politician Neil MacCormick
- Musician Annie Lennox
- Reverend Desmond Tutu
- Footballer Alan Little
- Musician Aly Bain
- Musician Phil Cunningham
- Campaigner Olivia Giles
- Actress Maggie Cheung
- Chef Martin Wishart
- Musician Nicola Benedetti
Napier
- Actor Nigel Planer
- Novelist Christopher Brookmyre
- Composer Craig Armstrong
- Musician Dame Evelyn Glennie
- Actor Sir Sean Connery
- Actor Brian Cox
- Musician Bert Jansch
- Entrepreneurs Gerald and Vera Weisfeld
Glasgow
- Restaurateur Charan Gill
- Politician John McFall
- Comedian Elaine C. Smith
- Author Jackie Kay
- Author Denise Mina
Glasgow Caledonian
- Hotelier Donald Macdonald
- Musician Midge Ure
- Musician Jack Bruce
- Dramatist Eileen Gallagher
- Broadcaster Sally Magnusson
- Politician Lord Neil Kinnock
- Entrepreneur Azeem Ibrahim
- Author Jackie Kay
- Satirist Armando Iannucci
- Actress Blythe Duff
- Director David MacLennan
- Diplomat Kofi Annan
Glasgow School of Art
- Photographer Harry Benson
- Architect Andy MacMillan
- Architect Isi Metzstein
Heriot Watt
- Designer Zandra Rhodes
- Veteran Simon Weston
- Comedian Rory Bremner
- Politician Tam Dalyell
- Retailer Mary Portas
- Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy
- Broadcaster Robert Peston
- Musician Nicola Benedetti
Queen Margaret
- Chef Albert Roux
- Actor David Hayman
- Actor Brian Cox
- Dramatist Liz Lochhead
- Musician Dame Evelyn Glennie
- Financier Susan Rice
- Artist John Bellany
- Hotelier Ken McCulloch
Robert Gordon
- Businessman Sir Bill Gammell
- Dancer Michael Clark
- Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes
- Businessman Donald Trump
- Rower Katherine Grainger
- Musician Karen Matheson
- Broadcaster Nicky Campbell
- Politician David Trimble
- Broadcaster Alan Johnston
- Campaigner Terry Waite
St Andrews
- Academic Noam Chomsky
- Author AS Byatt
- Author AL Kennedy
- Naturalist Sir David Attenborough
- Actress Dame Judi Dench
- Rower Sir Steve Redgrave
- Golfers Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Padraig Harrington
- Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy
- Driver Sir Jackie Stewart
Stirling
- Football manager Sir Alex Ferguson
- Politician John McFall
- Businessman Jim McColl
- Politician John Reid
- Politician Dennis Canavan
- Musician Eddi Reader
- Broadcaster Kirsty Young
Strathclyde
- Musician Eddi Reader
- Theatre director Andy Arnold
- Chief Medical officer Harry Burns
- Artist John Byrne
- Politician Dennis Canavan
- Novelist Allan Massie
- Businessman Jim McColl
- Politician John McFall
- Poet Seamus Heaney
West of Scotland
- Businessman Chris Gorman
- Artist John Lowrie Morrison
- Broadcaster Billy Kay
- Sports administrator Craig Reedie
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