JIMMY Nairn, one of the first voices to be heard at the launch of Scottish Television has died at the age of 91.
The father to celebrity chef Nick Nairn, passed away surrounded by family on Thursday night.
Mr Nairn paid tribute to his father saying that he had an "extraordinary life and "will never be forgotten".
He said "It is with great sadness that I must announce the death of Jimmy Nairn, my father, who passed away last night at the age of 91.
"Dad had an extraordinary life, from business man to actor to an ambassador for all things Scottish. He excelled at whatever he turned his hand to. He possessed a formidable intellect and had a unique and incisive understanding of the ways of the world."
Jimmy Nairn was brought up on a council estate in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire and insisted his voice was the first on air when STV began in 1957.
He left school at 15 to work in a shipping office in Glasgow before opting for a change of career and went to drama school.
While gaining celebrity status from compering Jigtime in 1957 and appearing on shows such as The One O'Clock Gang, Mr Nairn also ran a shipping business, which he later sold to P&O.
Flashback to 1957 and Jimmy Nairn fronting Jigtime
He would go on to concentrate on his family and Lochend, the residential suburb of Edinburgh, where he built holiday chalets.
Nick Nairn added: "Dad had an extraordinary life, from business man to actor to an ambassador for all things Scottish. He excelled at whatever he turned his hand to. He possessed a formidable intellect and had a unique and incisive understanding of the ways of the world.
He was a successful entrepreneur who choose lifestyle over materialism. His judgement and sensibility were matchless, he was blessed with a rare and uncanny ability to see things for what they really were. However, his greatest achievement by far was his family and the wonderful home he created here at Lochend."
He said that his dad and mother Irene, who were married for 61 years, conducted an "incredible lifelong love affair" while being "best friends, confidants and true partners".
He leaves three children, Nick, Victoria and Topher.
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