Stewart Nicoll was found guilty of professional misconduct

Stewart Nicoll was struck off by the General Teaching Council for Scotland after being found guilty of professional misconduct.

He faced suspension from teaching at Grantown Grammar School because of his alleged right-wing views.

Mr Nicoll resigned just before he was to face a disciplinary hearing.

Police revoked Mr Nicoll's gun licences three years ago because of the "propaganda and indoctrination" he taught at the school.

I feel that positive discrimination has gone too far and has to be roped in

Stewart Nicoll

In court, as he tried to win his certificates back, the history and modern studies teacher was compared to Thomas Hamilton, who murdered 16 children and a teacher in Dunblane 11 years ago.

A solicitor for Northern Constabulary, Norman Phillips, also claimed Mr Nicoll's life bore similarities to Hungerford killer Michael Ryan, who killed 14 people.

The teacher, who joined Grantown Grammar in 1979, had caused controversy with some of his methods.

During lessons he showed teenage pupils SAS tapes of dead bodies and videos of the Columbine massacre in the US.

He was also said to have repeatedly played video footage of the assassination of US President John F Kennedy.

A disciplinary panel of the General Teaching Council for Scotland met in Edinburgh and found he had behaved in an inappropriate manner towards pupils.

Media attention

They found he had made reference to racial and minority groups in an inappropriate manner; repeatedly presented topics to pupils which included graphic video, pictures of violence, use of guns and other firearms and conducted himself in a manner which caused alarm and stress to pupils and other staff.

He had previously been suspended by the local authority on full pay after his civil case against the police to win back his guns attracted media attention.

During the hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court three years ago, the police lawyer said Nicoll had "a tendency to dwell on matters, lose his temper and may resort to violence".

Mr Nicoll, who lives alone, told the court: "Those men had nothing else in their lives except firearms. I have lots of things in my life.

"I would never revenge myself on an innocent person, nor with a shotgun. That man killed children and that is wrong."