One of Scotland’s leading figures in social work and the first woman professor at Dundee University, Elisabeth Mapstone OBE, has died at the age of 88.
Professor Mapstone co-authored the influential report Getting It Together: Services for Children and Young People in Difficulty.
She was also adviser to Sheriff Brian Kearney’s inquiry into child care services in Fife.
As chairwoman of Age Concern Dundee, she led the board when the organisation moved from its former to its present premises on Caird Avenue.
Born in Streatham, London, she gained a first-class honours degree in sociology at London School of Economics.
In the first part of her career she worked as a child care officer and in a variety of social work and research posts in London, Somerset and Manchester.
Her husband Harry Mapstone was appointed the first director of social work for Fife in 1969 but died the following year.
After gaining a masters degree at Brunel University, in 1975 she was appointed professor of political science and social policy at Dundee University when all her professorial colleagues were male.
Professor Mapstone’s work was respected at local and national levels and she was awarded the OBE in 1986.
She retired from the university in 1994 but continued to contribute her professional expertise.
Her home was in Wormit.
Professor Mapstone died at Little Cairnie Hospital in Arbroath while waiting to move into Fairhill Nursing Home at Letham Grange.
Her funeral at Dundee Crematorium brought together her family, friends, neighbours, carers and ex-colleagues from the university, and from many other stages of her life.
Her ashes were taken to be interred with those of her husband in Wells, Somerset.