Russell Johnston, Baron Russell-Johnston, who died on 27 July, 2008, aged 75, was a senior figure in the Liberal and Liberal Democrat parties.

He was MP for nearly four decades, representing Inverness and then Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber. He also led the party's Scottish wing for 14 years and was the first deputy leader of the Lib Dems under Paddy Ashdown.

In Parliament he was known as an authority on European matters and as a result he was honoured by several European countries - Romania, San Marino and Austria all awarded him their Grand Cross and Albania gave him an Order of Merit.

He was also a passionate campaigner for the blind and the Royal National Institute of Blind People made him its parliamentary spokesman for 20 years.

David Russell Johnston was born on the Isle of Skye on 28 July, 1932. He attended Edinburgh University, leaving with a Master's degree history in 1957. He worked as a teacher for several years before beginning his political career.

He joined the Scottish Liberal Party in the early '60s, first running for Parliament in 1964. He became the party's spokesman on foreign affairs and made developing relations between East and Western Europe a keynote of his political career.

After his retirement from the House of Commons in 1997 he was given the Scottish Highlands barony of Minginish. Still eager to be known by his original name, he had his surname changed by deed poll to become Lord Russell-Johnston.

Between 1999 and 2002 he was President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and he was also a member of the Privy Council.

He died in Paris on the eve of his 76th birthday, having been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer earlier in 2008. He was survived by his wife of 41 years, Joan, and their three children.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: "He will be sorely missed, not only by friends, family and colleagues in the UK, but by all those countless people whose lives he touched throughout Europe."