Son of a drapery manager. On stage in his native Scotland from the early 1950's; in London from 1960, alternating acting with work for BBC radio. Craggy-faced character actor with prolific theatrical appearances in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, including classical parts in "Hamlet" and "Macbeth". Popular guest star on television, especially in crime series, such as
Z Cars (1962),
Heartbeat (1992), and
Rebus (2000).