James Doohan, the actor best known for his role as the intergalactic engineer Scotty in Star Trek, has died at his home in the US. He was 85.

Doohan lost his struggle against pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease this morning in Washington State, according to his agent and friend Steve Stevens.

A Canadian actor with a knack for accents, Doohan became inseparable from his role as Montgomery Scott, the surly Scottish engineer on the Starship Enterprise, after he was cast in the original Star Trek series in 1967.

He played Scotty alongside William Shatner as Captain James Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the mercurial Mr Spock. Doohan then spent three years responding to requests of "Beam me up, Scotty" and eking out power from the Enterprise before being cast in seven Star Trek feature films.

"I can't change the laws of physics!", "I've giv'n her all she's got Captain, an' I canna give her no more", were among the catchphrases of the character, who described himself as an "old Aberdeen pub-crawler".

"He loved being Scotty," said Mr Stevens today. "He loved the whole Star Trek thing. I don’t think people knew what a terrific actor he was."

According to Christian Sparborth, editor of Star Trek fan site TrekToday.com, Doohan was integral to the success of one of the world's best known television series.

"It's a character that would never have even existed if it hadn't been for Doohan himself," Mr Sparbroth told Times Online.

"He was fond of telling fans at conventions about his original Star Trek audition, when Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had him trying on many different accents, before finally asking Doohan what he himself thought would be the best option. Doohan thought for a moment, and then replied, 'All the world's best engineers have been Scottish' ."

According to Mr Sparbroth, Doohan found himself unable to escape the role of Scotty but eventually embraced the part.

Struggling with illness, Doohan continued to attend conferences and conventions for Star Trek fans. Last year he was the guest of honour at a "Beam me up, Scotty!" convention in Los Angeles. His final public appearance came last October, when he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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