TRIBUTES were paid to a "dedicated father and farmer" who was found dead after losing a long-running land dispute, as more than 400 attended a service in his memory.

Father-of-four Andrew Riddell, 52, was described as a great family man with many different skills, interests and talents, at the gathering inside a packed Yester Parish Church in Gifford, East Lothian.

An avid skier and hillwalker, Mr Riddell had been an award-winning student and golf champion. He also had a love of astronomy, and regularly attended observatory lectures.

The gathering also heard Mr Riddell was an expert in the agricultural science of agronomy.

His friend Keith Maxwell told how "Andrew was incredibly proud and supportive of his children" and he ran the "model East Lothian farm".

He had also been competitive and was keen on rugby and cricket.

Mr Maxwell added: "Just as he had to be first up a hill when walking, he had to be first down hill when skiing."

Mr Riddell was found dead after completing his final harvest at home at Peaston Farm, Ormiston, East Lothian, just weeks before he was due to quit the land his family had farmed for the past 110 years.

Earlier this year he lost a long-running court case against his landlord, Alastair Salvesen.