One of Scotland’s leading storytellers and ballad singers will be honoured tonight (Thursday, November 27) as the University of Aberdeen’s Winter Graduation ceremonies get underway.
Stanley Robertson, who left school at 14 years old without any formal qualifications, will receive an honorary degree of Master of the University (MUniv) at Elphinstone Hall, King's College.
Robertson is the nephew of Jeannie Robertson, considered the greatest singer of ballads ever recorded in Scotland.
He is an acknowledged expert on the Scottish Traveller community, whose cultural traditions, songs and stories he has long promoted across the North of Scotland.
Robertson is also an Honorary Research Associate at the University's Elphinstone Institute which was set up to study human traditions.
In a break from tradition, the Winter Graduation Ceremonies will take place at Elphinstone Hall, King's College on November 27 and 28 due to the current work being carried out at Marischal College.
It is believed to be the first time in over a hundred years that graduation ceremonies have not been held in the College's Mitchell Hall.
Stanley Robertson will receive his degree at the 6.30pm ceremony on Thursday night when students from the Schools of Law, Language and Literature, Divinity/History/Philosophy and Social Science will also graduate, including:
Shona Strachan (21), from Inverurie, will graduate with a Law LLB (Hons) – the third generation of her family to get a degree from the University.
Her older brother, Richard, also graduated in Law in 2007, while both her parents and two of her grandparents also studied at King's College.
Shona recently started working with Alex Salmond as a parliamentary assistant at Holyrood, but is considering coming back to Aberdeen in 2009 to do her Diploma in Legal Practice.
Oyinkansola Tasie, from Nigeria, will be the third member of his family to graduate from the University when he accepts his Master of Laws degree in Law and Sustainable Development.
His father, Sir G O M Tasie OFR, a retired Professor and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos in Nigeria, completed a PhD in Church History in 1969 and his mother, Dr Mrs Tolulope Idam Ngbo Tasie (née Ibiam), graduated with an MBChB in 1970.
Oyinkansola has an unconditional offer for a PhD in Law beginning in February 2009.