Hundreds of people lined Queen’s Road in Aberdeen to pay their respects to Dutch Mill owner Gordon Nicoll.
Mourners and a piper walked with his hearse past the hotel after the funeral service at Rubislaw Church.
Crowds lining the route broke into applause as the hearse passed the Dutch Mill, to where the service had been live streamed from the church.
Gordon died aged 66 earlier this month after battling cancer.
Sportsman of promise
He was best known as owner of the Dutch Mill and latterly the Atholl Hotel but Gordon had been a star golfer in his youth and could easily have turned professional.
In the early 1970s he won a string of titles in the north-east, played for the Scottish schoolboys side, and earned a youth cap in 1973.
Gordon Harry Nicoll was born on November 19, 1954 in Aberdeen, a son to Harry and Ness Nicoll and younger brother to Thelma.
Country life
At the time the family were living at Balquharn Farm, Portlethen.
In 1955 Harry and Ness bought the Station Hotel in Insch and the family moved there.
This was where Gordon and Thelma were brought up until 1962 when they moved to the Four Mile Inn at Bucksburn.
Gordon initially attended Cloverfield School, where he was popular among his classmates and loved football and all sports.
Weekends were spent at Banchory where the family had a caravan and Harry would take Gordon golfing at Banchory Golf Club.
City move
In 1967 the family moved house to Carnegie Crescent and Gordon attended Rosemount School, then Hazlehead Academy.
By this time he was taking his golf very seriously and had aspirations of becoming a professional.
He was Deeside junior champion in 1970 and 1971, north-east boys’ champion and a semi-finalist in the Scottish boys’ tournament, among a clutch of many more honours.
Growing business
In 1972 the family bought the Grange Hotel in Great Western Road and Gordon could be found there, when he was not playing in competitions on the amateur tour.
Then in 1975 Gordon ventured into the oil industry and worked offshore with Dixylin-Field, until 1976.
In his time onshore Gordon could be found working at the Four Mile or the Pittodrie Bar.
Bucksburn
Gordon married June Brechin in 1976. He gave up the offshore life and settled down with June, while he worked with his dad, Harry, at the Four Mile.
Gordon and June went on to have two children, Gary born in February 1978 and Richard born in July 1982. Also in 1982, Gordon bought and became proprietor of the Butchers Arms in George Street, Aberdeen.
Dutch Mill
In 1991 the family purchased the Dutch Mill on Queen’s Road. Sadly, also in that year Gordon and June’s marriage ended.
He continued to run both ventures until he finally decided to sell the Butchers Arms in 2005.
His younger son, Richard, joined him at the Butchers in 1999, to learn the trade and to assist him in running the ever-expanding business.
Family trio
In 2003, Gordon also brought Richard into the Dutch Mill and between them and Harry they ran the two businesses.
Gordon met and befriended Marianne Gauld. That friendship soon developed into something more and in 1999 they moved into their first home together in Viewfield Court.
The business grew again, when, in 2006, Harry and Gordon became partners with Bill Hogg in the Atholl Hotel.
Tragedy
Sadly though, 2006 was not to be a good year. Gordon and June’s eldest son, Gary sadly died, a tragic event that Gordon never really got over.
Gordon and Marianne moved from Viewfield Court to Bieldside in 2011 and, two years later, his father Harry died.
In 2018, Richard joined his dad in the partnership of the Atholl Hotel and later that year they bought out Bill’s share in the Atholl.
Between the Dutch Mill and Atholl Hotel they employed more than 150 loyal staff.
In 2019, Gordon married Marianne but in the same year he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Commitment
He underwent an intensive programme of radiotherapy followed by a major operation but continued to work daily in the office at the Dutch Mill overseeing the business and planning for the future.
In the later stages of his illness, Gordon was cared for at home by Marianne, supported by the district nursing team and Macmillan nurses.
His son Richard thanked those who paid their respects on his father’s final journey.
“It was great to see so many people and it gave us so much comfort seeing so many people turn up to say goodbye.”