Death of trailblazing Highland politician and UHI catalyst Val MacIver prompts flood of tributes
A Highlander who made a trailblazing contribution to the development of the region over several decades has died.
Val MacIver OBE devoted her life to creating better opportunities for her fellow Highlanders and played a key role in the creation of the University of the Highlands and Islands - a project she championed with passion for decades.
She has died at the age of 79, after a short illness, it was confirmed today.
First elected in 1982 as a councillor in Ross and Cromarty District Council, she moved on to Highland Regional Council, where she became chair of the Education Committee in 1988.
It was in this role she chaired the steering group which initially examined the feasibility of creating a university for the Highlands and Islands.
After achieving her passionately held objective, Val remained involved with the fledgling UHI – chairing its Community Foundation, joining the Board of Governors and eventually becoming rector.
She was made a Fellow of UHI and received an honorary degree from the University of Stirling as acknowledgement of her role in the creation of the University of the Highlands and Islands.
It was one of her proudest moments when her granddaughter Niamh graduated with a First-Class Honours Degree from Orkney College UHI.
Former colleagues paying tribute said she cared deeply about her native Highlands. Born and brought up in Easter Ross, she developed a lifelong love of the outdoors and had a particular interest in horse riding. Before becoming a councillor she had a number of jobs including running a café and working for an oil company as the area became a major centre for the blossoming oil industry.
Yet in her later years she became a passionate believer in renewable energy and was committed to playing her part in tackling climate change.
She stepped down from Highland Council due to family commitments, but soon returned to the fray as chair of the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross-shire Planning Committee.
After leaving the council she joined locally based public relations company Platform PR and travelled the length and breadth of Scotland advising clients on how to consult with communities on major projects. It gave her the chance once more to travel around her beloved Highlands.
Close colleagues say that Val knew everyone. There was not a community in the Highlands where she wouldn’t bump into somebody she knew. She was incredibly thoughtful, always enquiring after family, commenting on their particular interest from fishing to football. She also had a real skill at spotting when people needed a bit of TLC.
But she was also never afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she believed in. When the council agreed a programme of school closures she travelled the length and breadth of the region explaining why this would help improve education for the young people of the Highlands.
She would head into difficult public meetings about controversial projects with a willingness to listen to people’s concerns but with a belief that development was important for the future prosperity of the area.
Val was driven by a determination to ensure every young person in the Highlands had an opportunity to thrive – the thread running through everything she worked on, from her time as a board member of Highlands and Islands Enterprise to her planning advice on Tornagrain, the new town of which she remained very proud.
She and husband Alex settled in Evanton, where her two daughters, Jennifer and Cairine have remained and brought up their own children. Val’s grandchildren, Aidan, Niamh and Ollie, were the apple of her eye.
Son Donald took over the MacIver family croft in Aultbea from his father Alex’s family but was a regular visitor to Evanton. Alex’s final illness, combined with covid restrictions, meant Val was out and about less often. But she still loved to hear all about who was doing what and rarely missed the chance to watch council meetings on her ipad.
“She was so kind to me” has been the most common response from those who have learnt of Val’s passing. She was a real people person. She was at the centre of political life in the Highlands for many years, and her purpose was always to make it a better place for all. There can be no greater testament to her achievements than the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Vicki Nairn, UHI principal and vice-chancellor, said: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Val MacIver OBE. Dr MacIver was a visionary leader and one of the initial promoters of the University of the Highlands and Islands project, known then as the UHI Millennium Institute.
“Her dedication to education was unwavering, having served as the education convenor for the Highland Regional Council and later as vice chair of the UHI Board of Governors. Her contributions to the educational landscape in the Highlands and Islands are immeasurable, and her legacy will continue to inspire future generations.”
“Dr MacIver received an Honorary Fellowship from UHI in 2004, a testament to her significant impact and lifelong commitment to education. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and by the many lives she touched through her work."
Garry Coutts, who was a councillor with her at Highland Council for some time and also worked with her when he was chair of UHI, said: “Val was a giant of the Highland Council. Her stewardship of the education committee and her contribution to the creation of the University of the Highlands and Islands are a legacy that should ensure she is remembered for a long, long time.
“But there was so much more to Val. She was so generous and supportive of new, young councillors who were learning the ropes. And, most importantly, she was a doughty fighter for her own constituents. She knew most by name and always had time to chat and give advice. I doubt we will see many more local politicians who had the intellect to play a part on the national stage and also be such a local champion.”
The Highland Council also paid tribute.
Convener Cllr Bill Lobban said: “It is with great sadness that we learn of Val’s passing. Although retired from duties as a councillor she was never far from council business and kept an active eye on planning committee proceedings as a frequent visitor to the council chamber over the years.
“I extend my deepest condolences to her family and friends from fellow members and staff of Highland Council who knew her well.”
Val was elected as an Independent Councillor to serve the Ferindonald Ward in Ross and Cromarty Area of Highland Council in 1995 and again in 2003 prior to which she was a Highland Regional Councillor in 1990, also for Ferindonald.
She was chair of Highland Regional Council’s education committee and in 1991 contributed to the creation of the University of the Highlands and Islands as she chaired a steering group set up by Highland Regional Council to examine the case for a university.
She retired from membership of Highland Council at the final meeting of Highland Council before the elections in May 1999.
In 2003 she was re-elected to serve Highland Council’s Ferindonald Ward and was appointed as chair of Highland Council’s Ross and Cromarty Area Planning, Development Europe and Tourism Committee.
Throughout her terms as councillor, she was also a member of Housing and Social Work, Policy and Resources, Finance Personnel, Planning, and Property Committees and also served on the Police Board.
