FATHER Anthony Ross, former Provincial of the British Dominican Order,

a theologian, writer, and broadcaster, died on Monday aged 76.

Born into a Beauly crofting community, the oldest of five children, he

was educated at Beauly School, Inverness Academy, and Edinburgh and

Oxford universities.

Despite a Presbyterian upbringing, he was received into the Roman

Catholic Church at 20 and entered the Dominican Order in 1939. He was

ordained in 1945 and became profoundly involved in care activities.

At the Dominican Centre, George Square, Edinburgh he befriended the

homeless, convicts, addicts and others. He created, with the support of

the order, a safe house and taught by example, often enjoying bouts of

wrestling with anyone who wanted to relieve their anxieties.

Fr Anthony carried out extensive work on comparative penology in

Scandinavia and elsewhere and played a major part in Scottish Catholic

Historical Studies. Between 1979-1982 he was Rector of Edinburgh

University.

Among many distinguished assignments he was STV's guest commentator

for the Papal visit to Scotland.