Completely different...

Oscar nominee David Mackenzie collects honorary doctorate at Dundee University

St Andrews University honours Michael Palin at graduation.

The first Scottish film director ever nominated for a coveted Best Film Oscar has not ruled out filming scenes for his upcoming Robert the Bruce biopic in Dundee.

David Mackenzie, who received an honorary doctorate from Dundee University yesterday, said he was very impressed with the transformation the city has undertaken in the time since he was last here.

The Hell or High Water auteur, who graduated from the institution’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in 1993, said he was pleased with how the city’s waterfront development was progressing.

Mr Mackenzie joined an ever-growing list of honorary graduates at Dundee University, which was recently awarded a gold award by the Teaching Excellence Framework.

He said: “I have a lot of fond memories from my time in Dundee, back in 1993 when I studied at the university’s art college.

“I studied electronic imaging at Duncan of Jordanstone at the time, and it was a world leader then and I am pleased to see Dundee University achieving so much.

“Dundee really is a city on the up, with all of the new developments on the waterfront, and the achievements made at the university’s School of Life Sciences over the last few years really speaks volumes for Dundee.”

Yesterday afternoon the chief executive of the Archie Foundation, David Cunningham, was awarded an honorary degree at the medical school graduation ceremony.

Mr Cunningham graduated from the institution in 1999, with a degree in psychology.

He was one of the masterminds behind the hugely successful Oor Wullie Bucket Trail campaign which captivated the city last year.

Picture: Steven Brown.

Film director David Mackenzie with his honorary degree in the City Chambers, City Square.

Gavin Gilfillan and sister Caitlin, from Kirkcaldy, take a picture; Sarah Denholm, from Edinburgh, top right; and Catarina Peterson, from the USA, with son Deymian, above right.

Pictures: Kim Cessford. Dundee University graduates Liam Humphries, left, and James Knowles.

Back, from left: Demi Conroy, Ruth Barge, Stephanie Coats and Ferne Anderson, and front, Zoe Breen, Devon Campbell and Amy Grant outside the Caird Hall in City Square.

Top left: Joseph Robertson is attended to by his mum, Teresa; Shuyuan (Taylor) Li, top right; and above, from left, Nathan, Josie and Mandy Ferguson, from Windygates.