Jim McColl dead: Beechgrove Garden presenter dies aged 89, remembered as a 'national treasure'

McColl, who hosted the BBC Scotland gardening show for 41 years from its launch in 1978 until 2019, is being remembered as a "local hero and national treasure."

In a statement confirming his death on Tuesday, McColl’s family said he passed away peacefully and dedicated decades to sharing “his passion for gardening” with TV audiences.

It said: "It’s with a heavy heart we share the passing of Jim McColl, husband, dad and grandad," the family said. "He will be hugely missed not only by us, but by his friends, colleagues and a nation who he shared his passion for gardening with over four decades at The Beechgrove Garden."

Geraldine McCartney, acting director of BBC Scotland, paid tribute to McColl’s "expert gardening advice and wisdom" that guided viewers for generations. She said: "Loved by viewers across the nation, he’ll be especially missed in the north east, where he was a much-cherished part of the BBC Scotland and Tern TV teams for many years.

Harry Bell, managing director of Tern TV, the company that produced the show, said: "Here’s to ‘our’ lovely Jim, who for four decades presented The Beechgrove Garden for us with a spring in his step, a twinkle in his eye and a kind word for all folk. You’ll be fair missed Jim. You were a local hero first and a Scottish national treasure next."

BBC Scotland will honour McColl with a special program, Jim McColl At 80, airing on November 4 to celebrate his life and contributions to gardening and broadcasting.