Twin tributes to Donald Dewar

Sir David Steel unveiled one of the busts

Matching tributes to the late First Minister Donald Dewar have been unveiled in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Sir David Steel, spoke of his "great sadness and great pleasure" as he unveiled a portrait bust of Mr Dewar at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in the capital.

A second identical bust has gone on display at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The double ceremony represented the first time the two Scottish institutions have combined to commission and unveil an artwork.

Sculptor Archie Forrest: Natural process

The portraits were created by Glasgow-based artist Archie Forrest, a close friend and neighbour of Mr Dewar.

He began work on them shortly after the first minister's death last year as part of a television programme in his memory.

Speaking at the event in Edinburgh, Sir David said: "It's a great sadness and a great pleasure to unveil this bust to Donald Dewar.

"I do so officially because he was recognised as the father of the parliament and without him and without his energy and vision it could never have come into being.

"But I also do it personally because Donald was a very old friend."

Very natural

Sir David spoke of his long acquaintance with Mr Dewar from his days as a student debater through trips to Russia and dinners together as mature politicians.

He added: "It's a very personal link as well as a public and official one."

As Sir David lifted away the green velvet covering to reveal the bust, he smiled at the artwork before remarking: "How appropriate that it's set on books."

Sir David then spent some time admiring the bust and talking to Mr Forrest about its creation.

Mr Forrest said the commission had come about in a "very natural way".

It's a great sadness and a great pleasure to unveil this bust to Donald Dewar.

Sir David Steel

He explained that he had produced a drawing for a bust as part of a TV programme after Mr Dewar died.

He said he was later contacted and asked to develop the sketches into a completed portrait bust with the whole process taking about three-and-a-half months.

He said: "I'm pleased with the natural process more than anything it's making me feel very comfortable."

The two bronze casts were commissioned by the Friends Of Glasgow Museums And Galleries and the Friends Of The National Galleries Of Scotland.

A third bust has been presented to Mr Dewar's old school, The Glasgow Academy.

Sadness and disappointment

The director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, James Holloway said: "He was very much a loved and respected figure, we saw that at his death.

"There was a feeling of sadness and disappointment. He is the sort of person people would expect to see in the National Portrait Gallery and it is a pleasure for me to be able to do that."

The bust in Edinburgh will remain in the foyer until the end of the summer when it will be moved to the 20th century gallery room alongside portraits of other famous Scottish politicians, including Sir David himself and Scottish National Party veteran politician Winnie Ewing.

Mr Dewar died last October at the age of 63, just over a year after becoming the inaugural first minister.