A POPULAR art gallery owner and former Preston Lodge High School teacher has sadly passed away, aged 77.

Alistair Hamilton was a well-known figure in Port Seton, where he owned and ran the Harbour Gallery following a long career in teaching, primarily at Preston Lodge.

Born to parents Bill and Annie at the family home on Winton Park, Cockenzie, on June 9, 1943, Alistair was the eldest of four brothers (siblings David, Billy and Morgan).

The growing family moved to a new home at Park Road in Port Seton; Alistair attended Cockenzie School and then Preston Lodge, where his favourite subject was art.

He met his future wife and lifelong partner Helen while at the high school and, after leaving at 16, he started his employment as an apprentice engineer.

Alistair soon realised that engineering was not for him and moved to the John Collier clothing store in Edinburgh as a salesman.

However, his interest in art would soon take over his life and, after attending evening classes at Edinburgh College of Art, he applied to become a full-time drawing and painting student and was soon accepted.

At the college, Alistair’s talent flourished and he made several lifelong friends, including world-renowned artist John Bellany.

Alistair and Helen married while he was in his final year at art college and the newlyweds moved into their first home at a small flat in the Slateford area of Edinburgh.

The couple’s first child Rory was born around this time and Alistair’s art career moved on as he began to study teacher training at Moray House.

After completing his studies, he landed a job as an art teacher at Larkhall Academy and, after moving to Lanarkshire, their second child Kirsten was born in 1971.

After six years at Larkhall, Alistair and the family moved back east after he landed a job as principal of guidance, as well as teaching art, at Preston Lodge High School.

Alistair spent the next 25 years working at Preston Lodge and, after retiring from education, started to paint seriously and also realised a lifelong dream of owning his own gallery.

After looking around East Lothian for a suitable property, it was wife Helen who suggested turning their front sitting room, overlooking Port Seton Harbour, into The Harbour Gallery.

He had many exhibitions involving his own work, local artists and craftspeople over the many years he ran the gallery and was also heavily involved in the local 3 Harbours Festival.

During his retirement, having come from a family of fishing folk, Alistair loved sailing and bought a yacht called Eilidh – Gaelic for Helen.

Alistair was a regular attendee at Cockenzie and Port Seton Bowling Club and a popular member of Preston Lodge RFC, where he was part of a group of older fans who dubbed themselves ‘The Muppets’.

Alistair and Helen also travelled across Europe following the Scotland national rugby team and visited stadiums in Paris, Rome, Cardiff and Dublin.

The devoted Port Seton couple also enjoyed many holidays abroad, including to Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, the Caribbean and many trips to the US and Canada.

In his later years, Alistair kept his mind active by doing crosswords and Sudoku, and enjoyed the many visits from his beloved grandson Thomas.

Alistair Thomas Hamilton passed away peacefully at his home in Port Seton on February 1 and a socially distanced funeral was held at Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh on February 16. Alistair is survived by wife Helen, son Rory, daughter Kirsten and grandson Thomas.