Former Angus MP and MSP Andrew Welsh has spoken of his delight at being awarded the Freedom of Angus.
The former politician, who was Angus provost in the 1980s, said the honour came as ”a complete surprise”.
The decision to award the long-serving SNP politician with the region’s highest honour was taken unanimously at a full meeting of Angus Council on Thursday evening.
Mr Welsh, who was born in Glasgow and worked as a banker and a teacher, was first elected as an MP for South Angus in October 1974, but lost his seat in May 1979.
He became an Angus District councillor five years later and was nominated to the post of chairman, which he renamed provost.
In June 1987 he was elected as an MP for East Angus, which he successfully defended in 1992 and was elected again in 1997 to the renamed Angus seat. He did not stand in 2001.
He was the MSP for Angus from the start of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 until his retirement in May last year.
He was nominated for the award by SNP councillor Alex King, who said Mr Welsh was “synonymous with parliamentary representation of the Angus people”.
Mr Welsh said: ”It’s a great honour and I’m feel very privileged to be awarded this. It’s quite humbling actually.
”I loved my time on Angus Council as provost and I would like to thank those who have given me this honour.
”At the time we had the lowest rates in council tax in the country yet the highest level of services and I think that’s what good government is all about.”
He said the Dundee to Arbroath road being upgraded to a dual carriageway was one of his greatest achievements in office.
”I remember knocking on doors in the village of Muirdrum and I realised I couldn’t get across the road because the traffic flow was so heavy,” he said.
”Not only were there traffic problems, but also a number of fatalities on the road at that time.”
Mr King said: “During his time at both Westminster and Holyrood, Andrew has always been a good friend of local government, being the SNP spokesperson on local government, housing and education matters in both parliaments.
“Since winning back the East Angus seat in June 1987, his name has been synonymous with the Parliamentary representation of the Angus people.
“No other Member of Parliament has given the years of service to the people of Angus that Andrew Welsh has.”
Mr King added there was precedent in Angus for bestowing the honour to former MPs.
“I cannot speak for all the Angus burghs but I do know Arbroath Town Council afforded this honour to two previous Members of Parliament in the 1950s and 1960s.
“John S Maclay, later 1st Viscount Muirshel, was a former MP for the Montrose Burghs seat for 10 years from 1940 until 1950.
“Sir James A L Duncan succeeded Mr Maclay. He was granted the Freedom of Arbroath in October 1963.”