His work inspired a generation of men to lift lager to their lips.

Mel Gillies, the photographer who snapped iconic images of the Tennent’s Lager can girls, has died at the age of 65.

His photos of racy young ladies in alluring poses adorned cans from the early 1960s until they were finally removed in the more politically correct atmosphere of the late 1980s.

The Gourock-born artist began his trade as a photographer in the ship yards of Greenock in the late fifties, before joining STV in Glasgow and then a spell in London working for the Associated Press.

He then returned to Glasgow to set up a studio with his business partner, Sandy Wills, in Bath Street, and travelled widely photographing an array of subjects from the funeral of Winston Churchill, to boxing legend Sonny Liston, to the Beatles.

And it was from the Bath Street studio, in 1962, that the famous work for Tennent’s began. “There was nothing distasteful about the work for Tennent’s,” his twin brother Phil recalls.

“I thought they were lovely, all nice girls, and of course, pretty. It was very glamorous, and at the time, innocent.”

Mel’s big sister, Muriel, 68, added: “ I think Mel’s work was artistic, it was a shame they disappeared. These girls were real ladies who looked like real ladies.”

Part of the appeal of the lager lovelies was that they were Scots models and beauty queens. They may not have been international-class beauties but this was a positive – they reflected the look of the girl in the street.

They were the sort of girls you could bump into in a Glasgow nightclub, who offered at least the illusion of availability.

This seemingly approachable pretty Scottishness only served to increase the attraction for legions of lager lovers.

Linda McShane, a former can girl from 1979 to 1982, told the Evening Times in 2002: “Young boys and grown men all adored us.

“At the same time women seemed to accept us because they would buy the lager with the pictures of their partner’s favourites.

“We were in everyone’s homes and I think one of the reasons why the concept was so successful was because there weren’t any international supermodels at the time.”

Yesterday Tennent’s released a tribute to Mel, with a spokeswoman saying: “We are sorry to hear about the passing away of Mel.

“He played an important role in our history and although the brand has moved on considerably since then, the way he captured our ‘Lager Lovelies’ remains an iconic moment of our heritage.”

And Mel’s family point out that his work captured such a wide range of subjects over a globe-trotting career, that it would be wrong just to associate him with his work for Tennent’s.

He was a passionate mountaineer and skier, whose fascination with climbing took him to the Himalayas.

It was there he struck up a strong friendship with mountaineer Doug Scott, famous for the first ascent of the Southwest Face of Mount Everest in 1975.

Mel and Doug travelled throughout Nepal and became involved with raising money for the charity Community Action Nepal. Mel was a trustee, and through sales of his photographs, raised cash to build a hospital for Sherpas.

Speaking at Mel’s funeral at Clydebank Crematorium yesterday, Doug Scott said: “Mel really lived his life to the full through his photography, skiing and giving so much to all of us who have been lucky to count Mel as a friends.”

Anyone who wishes to support Mel’s work with Community Action Nepal can find out more at www.canepal.com