The musician, who is also director of development, fundraising and the arts at higher education college Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, will receive the honour at an awards ceremony and dinner to be held in Edinburgh.

RIAS President Willie Watt said: “Dr Donnie Munro is a renowned creative Scot. The breadth of his achievement in music, the arts and within academia and as a lobbyist for both the Gaelic language, culture and the communities of Scotland’s Highlands and Islands, is extraordinary and all of it of international note.

“He joins the distinguished list of RIAS Honorary Fellows, which includes Santiago Calatrava, Lord Foster, Philippe Starck, fellow musician Dame Evelyn Glennie and the writers Liz Lochhead and Ian Rankin, as a thoroughly deserving new inductee to a group which represents leaders within the arts, business, politics and the law within Scotland, as well as some of the world’s most renowned international architects.”

In welcoming the news, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Principal, Prof Boyd Robertson, said: “This is a richly deserved and highly appropriate accolade for Dr Donnie Munro. I am delighted that such an esteemed body as the RIAS has recognised the distinguished contribution he has made to Scottish life and culture in so many spheres. He has been at the forefront of the Gaelic renaissance as lead singer of the celebrated band, Runrig, who did so much to stimulate interest in the language and its cultural riches and in his key developmental role here at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic language and culture, which has played a vital part in reviving the fortunes of the language.

“We are proud and privileged to have Donnie as a member of our Senior Management team and rejoice in this recognition of his lifelong service to the language, cultural heritage, arts, music and education.”

The Skye-born singer and former Runrig frontman added: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award from the RIAS and particularly honoured to be placed alongside such an illustrious list of Honorary Fellows, all of whom have contributed enormously to the cultural life of Scotland and beyond. I am particularly pleased that this honour should have been bestowed upon me by the RIAS, in their centenary year.

“I have been extremely fortunate over recent years, through my development role with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, to have had the opportunity to work with some really wonderful, creative and innovative architects on a number of iconic and visionary projects and I am very much aware of the great contribution which they make to the cultural, economic, environmental and aesthetic fabric of our lives and to our built heritage and material culture. I am profoundly honoured to be inducted as an Honorary Fellow.”