David Preston

Mr Preston was well known across the profession, having served on the Law Society Council for many years during two separate stints over what was a varied legal career.

Highlights include over 30 years in practice in Oban; four years with the Automated Registration of Title to Land project with Registers of Scotland; service as a legal assessor to sub-committees of the General Teaching Council for Scotland; as an accredited and enthusiastic mediator, and latterly as a legal member of the Housing and Property Chamber and of the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland.

Mr Preston was a consultant at Inksters, where he had assisted Brian Inkster with management and regulatory matters since 2011.

Mr Inkster said: “David Preston provided me with staunch support and sage advice at Inksters for the past 12 years. As one of our team expressed it, he was ‘the nicest man you could possibly wish to meet and he will be terribly missed’. I couldn’t agree more.”

Former Law Society president Bruce Beveridge said: “David was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer six weeks ago, the speed of progression of which was both horrifying and tragic.

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are of course with David’s wife Sheila and family.”

Law Society of Scotland president Sheila Webster added: “We’re saddened to hear of the passing of David Preston, who was president of the Law Society of Scotland in 2002-2003 and is still fondly remembered by colleagues who worked with him during his many years involvement with the society. I’d like to offer my deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

“David Preston was a respected and popular solicitor through his decades spent serving the Oban community. He also made an enormous contribution to the wider legal sector including 20 years spent on the Law Society’s Council and through his work across numerous Law Society committees.”