Robert Barbour

Robert Barbour, who has died aged 74, was a highly talented architect and artist, specialising in watercolours. He helped design landmark buildings in Glasgow and London and painted the last official picture of the Royal Yacht Britannia while she was in service.

He spent his early years in Knightswood in Glasgow, attending Bankhead Primary School and then Victoria Drive Senior Secondary School in Scotstoun, now long gone. At school he showed early promise in drawing and painting, a talent that he was later to use fully.

His father was the chief draughtsman for Simon and Lobnitz, builder of dredgers at Renfrew, and the young Barbour inherited his father's skill in design and draughtsmanship. After gaining his Highers at VD, as he used to joke about the school's name, he joined Jack Holmes and Partners as an apprentice architect studying at Glasgow School of Art and the Tech, now Strathclyde University.

After qualifying as an associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects and joining the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland he became involved in a number of major projects including the construction of award winning multi-storey flats at Anniesland.

Later, as a partner with King, Main and Ellison, he also had responsibility for the landmark Scottish Amicable building in St Vincent Street, Glasgow. Mr Barbour was also involved with Corunna House in Glasgow and the Barbican Building in London.

Between his time with Jack Holmes and King, Main and Ellison, he worked for two and a half years from 1970 for Lambert and Innes at Pulls Ferry, Norwich. One of their clients was Colin Chapman of Lotus Cars whom he got to know very well and this added to his interest in racing cars and linked to his development of a large model car collection. He was a keen attendee at Formula 1 races at Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

Mr Barbour also had a lifelong interest in sailing, having spent many happy times on the water at Millport where his parents had a holiday house. When living in Helensburgh in the late 1960s with his first wife, Pat, he was an enthusiastic sailing boat owner, competing in regattas at the Helensburgh Sailing Club.

This interest continued when they returned to Glasgow from Norwich in 1972. After his marriage broke up he moved back to Helensburgh in 1987 for several months. Eventually he was joined by Pam and was happily married to her for 25 years. They moved to Rhu where they set up Summerhill Studio. His professional career only ended when he became seriously ill. He continued to undertake small commissions well into his 70s.

As a schoolboy he used to go plane spotting at the old Renfrew Airport when British European Airways flew Dakotas, Vikings and Dragon Rapides in the 1950s. Renfrew was also the base for the RAF City of Glasgow 602 squadron flying Meteors and Vampires. When he developed his skill as an artist painting in watercolours, his early aviation and sailing interests provided him with a strong subject base as did his work as an architect.

In later life he gained wide recognition as a watercolourist, exhibiting with the Eastwood Six when he lived in Clarkston, with his own exhibitions and with the Helensburgh Art Club when he lived in Rhu. His paintings covered a wide range of subjects including landscapes as well as ships and trains and planes and in later life he developed his art in more abstract form.

His interests in fighter aircraft led him to gain commissions for paintings for the officers' messes at RAF Leuchars and Honnington while his interest in maritime subjects meant his paintings of submarines also hang in the wardroom at the Faslane Submarine Base. A member of Glasgow Art Club, Mr Barbour was delighted when the club presented the Queen in her Silver Jubilee year with his painting of HMS Bronington to recognise Prince Charles's first Royal Navy command.

He also painted the last official picture of the Royal Yacht Britannia while she was in service and went on board when she was in Glasgow. He loved being able to say he had been aboard her and loved looking around. Many prints of his paintings have been made available from websites and he gained an international reputation as a watercolourist.

He was a dedicated family man who simply enjoyed having all his family around him. He was well loved and had a wide circle of clients and friends. Within his family he was affectionately known as Rob but the grandchildren loved to call him Beardy because he sported a beard in later life.

He is survived by his wife Pam, his son and daughter David and Fiona from his first marriage, his stepsons John, Russell and Finlay and all the grandchildren. All his family and friends loved him dearly and he will be sadly missed.