Now, five years after Mr Gill's death, Inverness Field Club and his widow, Margaret, have collected 60 of his finest drawings within the covers of a new book, "Through One Man's Eyes".

Modern printing techniques allow the detail and craftsmanship of the drawings to be fully appreciated, something which was not always possible with the reprographic methods available originally when the drawings appeared in poster form.

Even so, Mr Gill's posters for the Field Club and the lectures he organised in his day job with Aberdeen University became collectors' items among the many fans of his work.

Mr Gill's subjects included wildlife ranging from insects to eagles and from salmon to stags, but he also recorded the human impact on the Highlands with archaeological sites, notable buildings and pencil portraits of workers or personalities, such as broadcaster Tom Weir.

A lifelong fascination with the natural world found an outlet in his work for Aberdeen University and membership of Inverness Field Club.

Creating and running a programme of extra-mural studies for the university in Inverness-shire and the Western Isles, Balloch resident Mr Gill is also remembered as an enthusiastic speaker himself, illustrating his talks with his own photographs and drawings.

He also held several posts with Inverness Field Club including president from 1990 to 1993, having joined on the day he arrived in the Highland Capital in 1970.

Club member Hamish Maxwell read about his appointment in The Inverness Courier and recruited Mr and Mrs Gill to the society even before their removal van arrived.

In his foreword to the book, Iain R. Thompson, author of Highland classic "Isolation Shepherd" among other books, describes Mr Gill, with his Derbyshire accent, broad sense of humour and in depth knowledge as "the Titchmarsh of his day."

"Talented with pencil, paints and camera, here was a man who could easily have chosen other careers," Mr Thompson writes. "From a 'garret' of an office overlooking Lombard Street, Geoff organised local experts in topics which could span any subject from pipistrelle bats to piobaireachd.

"Nor was he a slouch as a businessman. His extra-mural lecture circuit ran at a profit, many talks being sponsored by the big company names who'd arrived in the Highlands.

"Unassuming, singular in a style which never changed, happy amongst all walks of life, he inspired his numerous contacts by his passion and commitment; he served the Highlands with distinction."

* "Through One Man's Eyes: Drawings of Highland Wildlife People and Places" by Geoff Gill is published by Inverness Field Club, price £5.99, and available from the club and Waterstones bookshop.

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