ONE of Scotland's most respected rugby writers, Walter Thomson of Selkirk, died in the Borders General Hospital on Thursday night. He was 88.

A man of principle, unfailing courtesy, and universally respected for his fair-mindedness, Walter was someone who made friends easily. Once made, these friendships invariably lasted a lifetime.

From an early age he displayed the instincts of a true journalist, having an eye for a good story and a talent for honest, dependable writing. On leaving school at the age of 15, he entered the family printing and publishing business, Walter Thomson, which was founded by his grandfather in the 1890s.

Serving his apprenticeship under his father Guthrie, and later alongside his brother Jim, he took over editing duties on the Selkirk Saturday Advertiser as a teenager, and was to hold the position of editor for a further 58 years.

Walter's writing prowess meant he was in great demand as a correspondent for both local and national newspaper titles, and by the age of 17 he was already filing stories to The Bulletin, Scotland's daily picture paper. However, it was a passion for the game of rugby union which was to bring Walter Thomson national acclaim.

He first began reporting on Border matches in the early thirties and, as was the custom in those days, adopted a number of aliases. But it was his career as chief rugby writer for the Sunday Post under the nom de plume ''Fly-Half'' that sealed his reputation as one of Scotland's leading rugby scribes. His time at the Post spanned almost 60 years, during which time he covered all of Scotland's Five Nations matches, home or away.

Asked to pick out the most exciting game he ever covered, Walter had no hesitation in choosing the South's epic 0-0 draw with South Africa at the Greenyards in 1931. ''Everyone expected the Springboks to wipe the floor with the Borderers, but the local team rose to the occasion magnificently.''

One person who regularly found himself in the company of Walter on those early forays to the Parc des Princes and Lansdowne Road was BBC commentator Bill McLaren. From his home in Hawick this week, Bill paid an affectionate tribute to his former colleague.

''He was an amazing fellow. Walter was the only person I know who could sit down immediately after a game and write a 1000-word report virtually off the top of his head. This astounded me, and I was always envious of that ability.''

Honoured with life membership by both the Scottish Rugby Writers and his home-town club, Selkirk RFC, Walter's greatest accolade came in 1982 when he was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List for his services to the Sunday Post.

In the Second World War he served with the Pioneer Corps, rising from the rank of lieutenant to captain. One assignment took him to the Faroe Islands, where he was put in charge of a project to create an airstrip, and after hostilities ceased he stayed on in Germany as part of the occupying force.

His first marriage to Ella Yellowlees was dissolved, and it was while stationed near Goslar, Germany, in 1946 that he met his second wife, Gerda. The following year he enlisted the help of Lord William Home to secure permission for his fiancee to come over to Britain. The case was raised in the House of Commons, and in 1947 Gerda duly arrived in this country - one of the first German war brides to do so. The couple were married in Selkirk in 1947.

Outside rugby, Walter's main interest included photography, travelling, theatre, and hill walking.

In addition to his regular rugby columns, he wrote two books - a history of Selkirk Rugby Club, marking the club's golden jubilee in 1957; and a personal overview of rugby in the Scottish Borders, appropriately entitled Rummle Them Up (published in 1989).

A writing career spanning more than six decades is unprecedented in rugby union, and during that time the game's players, officials, and supporters grew to respect and look forward to meeting up with the dapper, pipe-smoking rugby journalist who invariably turned up on match day in trademark trilby hat and double-breasted coat.

Walter Thomson was predeceased by his wife in 1996, and is survived by daughters Fiona and Karen, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held in Mortonhall Crematorium, Edinburgh, today, at 11.05am.