Moray UHI students shine on graduation day
Students from UHI Moray saw months and years of hard work and dedication officially recognised today at the 2025 graduation ceremony, which, for the first time, was held at the Moray Sports Centre.
With Elgin Town Hall currently undergoing refurbishment, the proceedings moved to the new venue at Linkwood, allowing the college to unite students and their friends and families in a single sitting.
David Paterson, the principal, welcomed the attendees, praising the teams who "moved heaven and earth" to organise the event.
He acknowledged the difficult financial landscape facing universities and colleges in Scotland, noting recent reports from the Scottish Funding Council and Audit Scotland that highlighted budget cuts and real-term funding declines.
However Mr Paterson also pointed out some impressive statistics. UHI Moray students returned a 97% overall satisfaction rating in a national survey – well above the national average.
Furthermore, the college's completion rate for full-time students was more than 8% above the current Scottish average.
Mr Paterson led a round of applause for the teaching and support staff, whose dedication was central to these achievements.
The ceremony was a showcase for some transformational student journeys. Apprentices shone brightly in national skills competitions, with Jamie Green winning silver in Scotland’s electrical installation apprentice of the year.
Meanwhile, plumbers Sweyn Macaskill, Kai Gray, and Frazer Graham swept the medals at the Scottish Skillplumb competitions.
The college’s apprentices also dominated at the Worldskills UK finals, where Shaun Wilcox was awarded silver in plumbing, and Liam Patterson made history by winning Gold in the UK final of the renewable energy skills competition.
The arts sector also saw national recognition, with BA Fine Art graduates Daye Allan and Jan McCormack exhibiting and winning national awards.
The day’s keynote address was delivered by Scott Dunbar, a partner at Johnston Carmichael, the accountancy and advisory firm.
He began by saying: “Every single one of you sitting here in a cap and gown has worked incredibly hard to reach this moment.
“You’ve faced challenges, you’ve pushed yourselves, and you’ve achieved something that no one can ever take away from you.
“Today is your day, and you should be rightly proud.”
An Elgin native, Mr Dunbar shared his personal story of building a hugely successful 24-year career entirely in Moray, proving that opportunity doesn’t require moving away.
He asserted that the UHI is transformative, allowing young people to stay and build lives at home.
“UHI doesn’t just provide courses – it provides confidence,” he stated, noting that Moray is now entering an era of transformation driven by renewable energy, life sciences, and digital innovation.
Mr Dunbar challenged the graduates, telling them that to grasp these accelerating opportunities, they must embrace ambition and determination.
He also offered a few key lessons for their future: that success is rarely a straight line and that relationships matter and are built on trust in a tight-knit community like Moray.
Amid the celebrations, the college paused to remember counselling student Emmie-Jane Cutting, who passed away recently.
Her graduation was marked posthumously and Emmie-Jane was remembered as a special person with a huge personality who brought light to her course and the college.