An 86-year-old man has proved age is no barrier to learning after becoming Scotland's oldest graduate.

Alex Stewart left school at 14 to work in a Dundee jute mill and did not return to education until he was 65.

Mr Stewart, who has attained five degrees, is now planning to study criminology at Abertay University next year after his latest academic achievement at Dundee University.

He picked up a certificate of higher education at the school of humanities award ceremony on Wednesday.

In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of all three of his sons who have also graduated from Dundee.

Mr Stewart said: "I was born in the days of the jute industry in Dundee.

"Both my parents worked hard and my father said to me 'you've got a good report son but you'll have to leave school when you are 14 and go get a job'.

"These were the days when parents would have to pay for the academies and so that was the end of me learning anything. I left school with nothing.

"According to a meeting with the headmaster of Logie School, I could have gone to Harris Academy but instead I went into the world of work in the jute industry, as did most of my generation."

Mr Stewart spent his military service as a radio operator in the RAF before working for most of his career as a surveyor across the UK.

He seized the opportunity to return to education on his retirement after seeing his sons pass through the university.

Simon Stewart studied geology, while his younger brothers Jonathan and Dominic graduated in medicine and law respectively.

Mr Stewart said: "Studying today is about the virtue of learning. What I would say to the younger folk, when picking a degree, is think about what will be useful for society in a few years' time, but I would also tell those returning to education to study what they are passionate about."

His passion for learning was not limited to the lecture theatre and he regularly took trips to the battlefields he studied for his American studies degree.

Mr Stewart also applied his knowledge practically and, after receiving his town and regional planning degree, applied to help out the local council with part-time work.

Professor Jim Livesey, dean of the school of humanities said: "Mr Stewart is a remarkable testament to higher education in Scotland.

"In returning to studying he has brought an inter-generational element to the various degrees he has received here and also practically, has helped other students get the most out of their experience."