HUNDREDS of mourners attended the funeral of a distinguished Greenock man who became one of Scotland's top civil servants.

Dr Harold Mills' many friends locally and elsewhere learned with sadness of his recent death at the age of 81.

Born and brought up in Greenock, Dr Mills was a Dux pupil at Greenock High School and went on to graduate with first class honours in chemistry at Glasgow University.

This was followed by a PhD at the same institution and then a spell at Buffalo University in the United States.

On his return to the UK he took up a teaching position at Glasgow University and also became involved in the political scene in Greenock, being elected as council member for the south west area of the town.

He went on to become a key part of the town's first Liberal-controlled council.

Having been appointed council treasurer he was involved in various important projects, one being to get the town's first sports centre set up in Nelson Street.

It was an era when council meetings were held in the evenings so Dr Mills was able to continue his university work as normal.

This was no longer possible when he was appointed to his next position, which was as a senior civil servant in the Scottish Office.

For many years he was one of Scotland's foremost public officials, particularly at Scottish Development, where he was very well regarded.

On his retirement from that position he was invited to become chair of Caledonian MacBrayne and he held this post for over six years, supervising significant changes to its operation.

Having worked as a summer student in the galley of various Clyde steamers he knew a fair bit about workings of the industry.

Dr Mills' funeral took place on Monday at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, where he had been an elder for many years.

It was perhaps fitting that while he was in charge of financial matters at St Giles' he worked alongside a session clerk who was another well known former Greenock High School former pupil, George Penrose, better known as Scottish judge Lord Penrose, and a close friend.

A friend of the late Dr Mills, former Inverclyde Council leader Alan Blair said: "Harold was one of the best and brightest and at the same time very modest products of his era as a young man born and educated in Greenock.

"There was a large turnout at his funeral and it was a fitting tribute to a fine man who will be much missed by many."

Dr Mills is survived by his widow Marion, also from Greenock, and by his sister Margaret Henderson and her family from Inverkip.