Father Walls spent a long, fulfilled life in God's service

Father Ronald Walls, the former Church of Scotland minister who later became a Catholic priest, has died at the age of 89.

Father Walls, known as Ronnie, grew up in a home designed by his father on Clermiston Hill. It was from his father, who was an optician, that he inherited a long-lasting passion for hillwalking and camping.

However, both his parents died while he was young leaving Ronnie and his siblings to be raised by their grandmother.

Ronnie studied philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, seeing it as preparation for life as a Church of Scotland minister.

A talented singer, he sang professionally on occasion. He completed his degree in three years and entered the Faculty of Divinity.

He met Helen MacLeod, a parish minister's daughter from Wester Ross at university.

She and Ronnie married in 1941 and two years later the first of their sons, Nicolas was born, to be followed in 1945 by David and in 1947 by Christopher.

In 1945 he was licensed by the Presbytery of Edinburgh, and took a temporary vacancy in the parish of Urray and Gilchrist at Muir of Ord, Ross-shire. The following year he was ordained by the Presbytery of Tain and took on the parish of Logie Easter, at Easter Ross.

It was a difficult time in his relationship with the Church, particularly regarding relations between the Kirk Session and ministers. After much consideration, the family decided to become Roman Catholics.

They returned to Edinburgh and Ronnie began a teacher training course at Moray House. The family joined the Roman Catholic Church at Sancta Maria Abbey, Nunraw, East Lothian.

Ronnie taught briefly then became Scottish organiser of the Converts' Aid Society, a post he held for 20 years.

He became increasingly involved in ecumenical work and helped draw up the guidelines for the Catholic National Ecumenical Commission when it was established in 1968.

Nicolas died of Hodgkin's Disease in 1964 after a long-lasting illness. In 1974 Ronnie and Helen were involved in a car accident. Helen died from internal bleeding two weeks later.

Ronnie decided to train for the priesthood and spent two years studying at Beda College in Rome. He was ordained in 1977 by Bishop Mario Conti of Aberdeen.

He served around the country, and even after retirement continued to take "supply" postings, his last at Our Lady and Saint Joseph in Kirkwall.

He died in Kirkwall on 2 January after a short illness, and is survived by David and Christopher.