Wellbank farmer and retired shepherd Graham Melville

Farmer and retired shepherd Graham Melville of Crowwood Farm, Wellbank, Dundee, has died at the age of 68.

Although his working life started tending tomatoes in the greenhouses near Monifieth he was soon driving a lorry for Dundee builders George Martin.

He also operated the firm’s first JCB digger before moving to road contractors Kings Tarmac at Cunmont quarry as a lorry driver.

Mr Melville’s lifelong interest however was farming and by 1986 he had started on a second career as a shepherd, taking up work on the Hunthill Estate at Glen Lethnot.

Then he oversaw farming operations at Pitmudie and Tullo at Menmuir for two years before moving to Shandford, Brechin with the Mather family where he was to stay for 17 years before retiring five years ago due to poor health.

His wife Ethel was the farmer’s daughter at Wellbank Farm and the couple were to move back to the area to live with their son Stewart who runs a contracting and agricultural drainage business from nearby Crowwood Farm.

Mr Melville never lost his love of farming, collie dogs and sheep and kept a small herd of suckler cows in his retirement.