His mum adored all the rascals and scallywags who came into the office, describing them as "awfully nice laddies", so perhaps robbery was actually a valid career.

He attended the prestigious George Hariot's school, a beautiful place built in 1601, and was a bright kid and learned quickly, particularly languages.

When he left school he didn't really have a plan and went into insurance, working as a clerk for an insurance company in Edinburgh.

In his words he was "bored to hell" and when he turned 18, to his relief, he was conscripted into military service.

Ian was wildly unimpressed with the Army; training as an artilleryman though when someone turned up lecturing for the parachute brigade, he joined up.

His first jump was from a hot air balloon, without a safety parachute and even though he almost tore a thumb off, he was instantly hooked, describing it as a feeling of absolute freedom.

He became part of the 33rd Parachute Field Regiment Royal Artillery, serving in Egypt for two years and from there, returned to Edinburgh to study medicine.

Ian met his Australian wife Annette Cozens in biology class at Edinburgh University and romance was born.

After graduation, the adventurous couple - now married - took a spontaneous decision to move to Uganda.

Dr Ian became doctor to the Sebei tribe in a turbulent part of Uganda where they had son Duncan and twins Richard and Ian Junior.

Tribal warfare officially no longer existed, yet Ian's main line of work was to patch up bow-and-arrow wounds, with most battles fought over cattle between the Sebei and the Mgesu, who lived further down the valley.

He found the work and the people wonderful and marvelled that both sides would sit down to watch him work while he packed and stitched up arrow wounds - Ian reckoned inside every surgeon was a frustrated actor!

Twins were considered a true blessing within the tribe and Ian's status and respect grew when his two little blonde-haired twins were initiated into the Sebei tribe in a day-long celebration which included singing, dancing, drinking thick, scalding hot beer through long straws and the ritual slaughter of a black bull - even the local prisoners were let out of prison for the day.

He worked closely with the local witch doctor, sending his more challenging cases to him, and vice versa and between the two of them, they could handle most things.

After two years, Ian and Annette reluctantly left Uganda for Britain, where Ian worked back in Edinburgh, in obstetrics.

Baby girl Nicky joined the fold and the family turned Ten Pound Poms, sailing for Australia - and Parkes - in 1968.

Ian and Annette set up a practice in Clarinda Street with Doctors Waddell and Allison and thus began almost 25 years of sleep deprivation.

They were on call every second night, looking after births, car accidents, farm injuries, mental health emergencies, broken bones, scheduled surgeries and house calls.

They built a timber home on Back Yamma Road, designed by Annette's architect brother Rob; many Parkes families will remember the big New Year's Eve parties, and the many barbecues.

Ian also had a pilot's licence and flew a small plane, sometimes to transport patients to the city when there was no time to waste.

He also took his young family on a plane-hopping adventure to Uluru, flying from town to town in the desert.

He was a keen bird watcher and loved wildlife and trees, and took up his great love of piping in his late fourties, after son Duncan started learning bagpipes at school.

He joined Lachlan Valley Pipes and Drums and the skirl of the pipes became commonplace over the Central West skies.

In 1990, Ian and Annette moved to Smiths Lake, which reminded Ian very much of his native Scotland.

The pair intended to retire but instead they worked as locums with a loyal following.

Ian became a valued member of the Wingham Pipes and Drums, and when they became grandparents, no children's party passed without bagpipes; although he did learn not to pipe at football matches.

On New Year's Eve, Ian would wander down to the shores of the lake to play at midnight, sometimes just in Speedos and thongs, but always wearing his Scottish bonnet.

Annette contracted breast cancer in the early 1990's so she switched to alternative methods of turbo-charging healing, including diet and meditation and in support, Ian did the same.

They had learned that combining mainstream medicine with holistic approaches created stronger outcomes and from there, Reach for Recovery, a cancer support group, was born.

The group was granted generous government funding and was able to operate for many years, helping hundreds of cancer sufferers - many of whom are still with us today.

In their retirement, Ian and Annette travelled the world. They trekked Nepal, took the Orient Express and saw Egypt, USA, Canada, Alaska, Europe, Peru, the Pacific, Russia, while also frequently visiting Scotland to trace Ian's ancestors.

He was an avid historian, tracing his own lineage back to The Highland Clearances of 1750 - 1860, where his distant relatives in the Scottish Highlands were forced off their land.

He also managed to get himself arrested in China, after pulling out his pipes in Tiananmen Square. He arranged for a tourist to video it, and a second guy held a stopwatch, it took just 11 seconds!

Ian was fantastic at picking up languages and was a fluent French speaker, while he could also speak German, Swahili and in later years, learned his ancestral Gaelic.

He was extremely happy living beside Smiths Lake and owned a little dinghy, the QE3, and would take Annette on trips around the water.

They both took up windsurfing and Ian would often be spotted on Smiths Lake with his Jack Russell, Doogie, on the bow.

He and Annette reaffirmed their wedding vows at the Green Cathedral near Forster, on their 40th wedding anniversary in 2001 and this year were celebrating 60 years with Ian describing his union with Annette as a perfect marriage.

Sadly, Ian had a family history of dementia and the disease slowly took hold so he lived out his final years under the excellent care of staff at Kularoo Gardens in Forster.

His funeral was on February 16 at the Green Cathedral, south of Forster and in fitting style, it was a tartan affair, brimming with pipers and his ashes will be scattered at a later date in the water of his beloved Smiths Lake.

All who knew and loved Ian, please raise a glass of Single Malt and say Slàinte Mhath.