Tom Peterkin: The sands of time have at last run out for some of Holyrood's more notable and quotable denizens

T HE Holyrood parliament is often criticised for its dearth of colourful characters. When was the last time an MSP did something really interesting? Tommy Sheridan doesn't count, because he's no longer in the parliament. With Sheridan out of the equation, examples of eye-catching behaviour have been few and far between. One has to go back nearly six years to find the last time a serving MSP attempted to burn down a building.

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In fairness, it is not compulsory for a politician to exhibit criminal tendencies if he or she wishes to splash a bit of colour on the drab canvas of Holyrood life. In fact, there have been a number of individuals who have done their best to liven things up while managing to keep on the right side of the law.

Unfortunately, the passing of the 2007-2011 parliamentary term this week has seen some of the more notable of these rare rays of political sunshine say farewell to Holyrood. Each of the main parties are losing at least one politician who has added a little originality that increases the gaffe risk but also challenges the conformity of the backbench lobby fodder.

Professor Christopher Harvie has managed to cultivate a reputation as a bit of a loose cannon – an achievement in itself in a party as tightly whipped as the SNP.

Occasionally, the historian's contributions to parliament have bordered on the bizarre. His reference to the "evil doing" of the children's television programme Blue Peter being a case in point. His description of Lockerbie as "a dump" was another.

Despite the gaffes, Harvie has brought a breadth of experience and knowledge that many of his colleagues lack. His contributions may have seemed a trifle eccentric, but they can be thought-provoking – even if the overriding thought is often "what on earth was all that about?"

John Farquhar Munro, the softly-spoken native Gaelic speaker, is another with a reputation as a maverick. He was one of the few Lib Dem MSPs to support an independence referendum – a stance that went against the party leadership. His reluctance to toe the party line has led to some linguistic challenges for the Lib Dem press department, who have had to scan his broadcasts on the Gaelic news on the look out for treason.

Some would argue that Labour's Lord Foulkes's willingness to pontificate on all subjects has undermined his credibility as a serious politician.

However, behind the rent-a-quote reputation lies a lively intelligence backed up by a formidable research team.

For the Conservatives, Bill Aitken has been an able justice spokesman and an industrious justice committee convener. To his embarrassment, the last few weeks of his Holyrood career have been marred by ill-judged remarks he is supposed to have made about a Glasgow rape case. But that should not be allowed to overshadow a substantial contribution to public life.