Runrig lead vocalist Bruce Guthro has died, MP and former bandmate Pete Wishart has said.

Singer-songwriter Guthro joined the Scottish rock band in 1998 and remained with the group until its final performances in 2018.

Mr Wishart said the 62-year-old Canadian had been an exceptional singer, musician and songwriter.

He added: “He was just the nicest person you could ever hope to meet and a joy to perform with.

“An exceptional singer, musician and songwriter taken far too soon. We are going to miss him.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime programme, Mr Wishart – who played keyboard for the band before becoming an SNP MP – said everybody associated with Runrig was heartbroken.

He said: “We’ve lost a friend, but we will never to hear this wonderful voice singing voice live again.”

In a post on social media in July, Guthro said he had been battling health issues for a number of years and had been forced to cancel live performances.

Guthro was from Nova Scotia, Canada, and his award-winning music career of more than 40 years included work as a solo artist.

He joined Runrig after Donnie Munro left the band.

Mr Wishart said the group had almost given up looking for another lead singer when Guthro auditioned.

He said: “Bruce came in that day when Scotland were playing Brazil in the 1998 World Cup and we had half an eye on the football and half an eye on Bruce.

“When Bruce sang we turned around almost with our jaws hitting the ground with the quality of Bruce’s voice.”

Runrig’s songs, many of them sung in Gaelic, span more than four decades and the band has a large and loyal following across Scotland and the rest of Europe.

The band enjoyed UK chart success in the 1990s and in 2018 sold-out their final performances, the two-day The Last Dance – Farewell Concert in Stirling.