AN 87-year-old pensioner who left school at 14 “with nothing” is Scotland’s oldest university student after enrolling at university – for the eighth time.

Alex Stewart, returned to classes at Dundee University last week where he is studying for a liberal arts degree.

Mr Stewart, who lives in Dundee, has already earned degrees in sociology, philosophy and town and regional planning from Dundee, Abertay and St Andrew universities.

He is the university’s oldest student and the one with the most degrees.

Born in the days of the jute industry, Mr Stewart's parents told him he had to leave school at 14 to get a job.

He previously said: "Both my parents worked hard and my father said to me, 'You've got a good report son but you'll have to leave school when you are 14 and go get a job'.

“These were the days when parents would have to pay for the academies and so that was the end of me learning anything.

“I left school with nothing. I went into the world of work in the jute industry, as did most of my generation."

But that was not the end of the road for the pensioner who returned to education at the age of 65.

He enrolled in the University’s New Opportunities Course through Dundee College in 1995 and went on to study for his multiple degrees.

Mr Stewart spent his military service as a radio operator in the RAF before working for most of his career as a surveyor across the UK.

At 65 he decided to follow in his son’s footsteps and seized the opportunity to return to education after seeing them complete university.

His son Simon studied geology, while his younger sons Jonathan and Dominic graduated in medicine and law respectively. All three boys graduated from Dundee University.

Just last year, Mr Stewart was awarded a Certificate in Higher Education at the same university.

He is now pursuing further study in liberal arts.

Speaking last year, he said: "Studying today is about the virtue of learning.

"What I would say to the younger folk, when picking a degree, is think about what will be useful for society in a few years’ time.

"But I would also tell those returning to education to study what they are passionate about.”

"I never thought about further education until I retired from work when I was 65."