Student sadness after death at city campus in Highland capital
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Grieving students are being offered support following the death of a teenager at Inverness Campus.
The 17-year-old boy, who has not been named, was pronounced dead at the student residences on Friday afternoon.
Some fellow students – who are mourning the loss of the teenager, who lived in a studio room in the halls – are now calling for a change in the way the residences are managed in order to support younger students.
Inverness College UHI leaders have written to students offering support, including providing on-site counselling over the weekend for anyone who needed it.
Students were told: “We want to let you know that we are thinking of you all at this time and we’re here for you.
“Please do reach out to the college staff if we can help in any way during this very difficult and sad time.”
A spokeswoman for the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) said: “The University of the Highlands and Islands and Inverness College UHI were saddened to hear about the death of a student in our residences at Inverness Campus on Friday.
“Our thoughts and condolences go out to their family and friends at this difficult time.
“We have been offering additional support and counselling to students living at the residences over the weekend as well as our normal wellbeing services on an ongoing basis.
“We understand there are no suspicious circumstances around the death and will continue to liaise with Police Scotland to help them with their enquires.”
UHI’s students residences in Inverness, as well as others in Dornoch, Elgin and Fort William, were previously managed by Cityheart Living.
Coincidentally, ownership and day-to-day management of the facilities were transferred to the university on Friday.
The spokeswoman added: “Taking over direct control of the management of this student accommodation will help us to enhance the experience of students and allow us to respond more directly to student feedback.
“We have plans to start a new residences life programme and will be incorporating our residences into all of our plans for future strategic growth.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We were made aware of the sudden death of a 17-year-old male youth within accommodation at Inverness Campus.
“The death is being treated as unexplained but non-suspicious. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.”
Rose Scott (20), who lived in the student residences in Inverness until last year said: “This is an absolute tragedy. I am devastated for this young man’s family.
“College can be a very lonely place and under the management when I was there, there was little if any support.
“These residences need a safe communal area where people can meet safely and activities need to be organised for students.”
A student, who did not want to be named, said: “Everyone is shocked.
“The college have been really supportive and have been down here every day.
“The boy who died was a lovely boy, who looked out for other people and no one can quite believe that he is gone.”
Another said: “No one can quite believe what has happened. The boy who died was a nice boy that everyone got on with.
“We will miss his laughter. I just can’t quite believe that we will not see him again. It all just does not feel real at all.”
