By Nicola Sturgeon

I am very sad to hear of Willie's passing. His writing - particularly Docherty - had a huge influence on me when I was growing up. He came from the same part of Scotland as me - Ayrshire - and had taught at my school, so he was also something of a local hero.

It was a big thrill for me years later to get to meet him. One of the last times i spoke to him was in the run up to the referendum and he was full of enthusiasm about the prospects of a Yes vote.

His passion for Scotland - warts and all - and for social justice shone through all of his work. Willie was an iconic figure in Scottish literature. To me, he is a legend and he will be greatly missed.

My thoughts are with his family.

The Herald: