Eleanor Service |  On Saturday December 5th 2015, Scottish literature suffered a huge loss. Tragically, William McIlvanney passed away peacefully in his home, at age 79, after suffering a short illness. McIlvanney is one of the most famous and influential Scottish writers. He became popular through his novel ‘Docherty’ which was published in 1975, and he went on to gain more acclaim through his 1977 novel ‘Laidlaw’.