The congregation of Glasgow Cathedral said a fond farewell to minister, the Rev Dr Laurence Whitley on July 9. Dr Whitley retired from the Cathedral after 42 years of parish ministry.

A spokesman for the congregation said Dr Whitley would be remembered for ‘his unstinting pastoral care and carefully structured, thought-provoking sermons’.

Paying tribute, he said that during Dr Whitley’s time at the Cathedral, the Girls’ and Boys’ Brigade were both revived and the Sunday School developed under the leadership of Catherine Whitley. A drama group was formed in 2009 which staged plays written by Dr Whitley.

Another innovation was the replacement of the Sunday evening service with an afternoon Choral Evensong which is broadcast worldwide via the Cathedral website.

Further tributes were paid to Dr Whitley at a buffet lunch following the service, when Glasgow’s Deputy Lord Provost Philip Braat described him as one of the city’s spiritual leaders who had provided inspiration for those involved in public service. Dr Whitley played a key part in major events in Glasgow including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Service, the ecumenical St Mungo Festival and the services which took place in the aftermath of the Clutha Pub helicopter crash and the George Square bin lorry disaster.