Heriot-Watt University takes down tuition fee pledge stone laid by Alex Salmond

The stone promised that “rocks will melt in the sun” before tuition fees would be imposed on Scottish students.

Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University has announced its decision to remove a stone laid by the then First Minister Alex Salmond, which pledged never to introduce tuition fees on Scottish students.

The words “The rocks will melt with the sun before I allow tuition fees to be imposed on Scottish students” are carved into the monument, which was unveiled by Mr Salmond in 2014.

The former First Minister - who made the comment in March 2011 - unveiled the stone as his last act before going to Holyrood to make his resignation statement.

Mr Salmond has previously called the legislation “the single biggest achievement” of his government.

A spokesperson for Heriot-Watt University said: “Following consultation with the Heriot-Watt University Student Union, a decision has been taken to use the current location of the commemorative stone for an alternative public art work which will appeal to our international student community.

“The stone will be carefully looked after until an alternative location is found for it in future.”

While students south of the border have to pay tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year for their studies, the SNP administration at Holyrood passed legislation to scrap the charges which students in Scotland had to pay on completion of their degrees.

Mr Salmond has previously called the legislation “the single biggest achievement” of his government.

The move comes as the Scottish government considers ending the “free” places provided to EU students as a way to help universities across Scotland weather the economic turmoil caused by coronavirus.

Universities minister Richard Lochhead called on the UK Government to answer an "SOS" plea from the sector to make good on Boris Johnson's pledge to make the country a "scientific superpower."

It is estimated that universities could lose anywhere between £380-£650 million in 2020/21, Mr Lochhead told Holyrood’s education committee today.

"These are massive challenges facing the sector, not just loss of students but research as well,” he said.

"So it could be three, four, five years to recover from this."

Students from EU nations currently receive free tuition in Scotland because EU rules prevented them being treated differently from Scottish students.

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland are charged fees as they are not from another EU state, but regarded as internal UK students.

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