'Trailblazer' prof Sir Geoff dies aged 85

SIR Geoff Palmer, one of Scotland's best-known academics and the country's first black professor, has died at the age of 85.

- By Neil Pooran

The professor was long associated with Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, serving as chancellor and professor emeritus.

He was also prominent in other fields, reviewing the legacy of slavery and colonialism in the capital.

The university hailed him as a "trailblazer and inspiration within higher education and in wider society", while Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury described him as a "courageous voice for justice and equality".

Sir Geoff, who died on Wednesday, is survived by his wife Margaret, their three children, and grandchildren.