Mum's emotional plea to find missing Edinburgh artist

'Please let us know you are OK.'
Missing Leonora Harper-GowMissing Leonora Harper-Gow
Missing Leonora Harper-Gow

A mum has issued an emotional plea to her daughter who vanished after leaving hospital more than a week ago.

Claire Harper-Gow, 55, says her daughter Leonora, known as Blaise, has not been seen since leaving Borders General Hospital near Melrose, Roxburghshire, on Sunday, June 17.

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The 26-year-old freelance illustrator, who lives in Edinburgh, has a history of depression and was checked into hospital the previous night after visiting family in the Borders. But on Sunday she checked herself out and has not been seen since.

Missing Leonora Harper-GowMissing Leonora Harper-Gow
Missing Leonora Harper-Gow

Mrs Harper-Gow is urgently appealing to anyone who may have seen her daughter to get in touch.

“This last 10 days have been horrible, tense and emotional,” she said. “We just want to know she is OK.

“She left everything and walked out - she left everything behind - and we don’t know what to do. The whole family have all been terribly affected by it.”

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She added: “It’s been like having an out-of-body experience. We are all struggling and desperately want to know where she is.”

The family organised a walk on Sunday, June 24 with around 60 people to retrace Ms Harper-Gow’s steps. They put up posters around Melrose, starting from the Holy Trinity Church and along the banks of the River Tweed.

The family say future walks could be set up if no new information is found in the coming days.

Ms Harper-Gow, a former Heriot-Watt University and Leith School of Art student, lives in Elm Row, in 
Edinburgh, and her family believe she could be back in the capital.

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New information received by police suggests she may have travelled to Waverley Station.

Mrs Haper-Gow said: “The loves Edinburgh. She loves the Botanicals and just loves the city - but nobody has seen her.”

Ms Harper-Gow is described as white, 5ft 8 inches tall, with red, shoulder-length hair. She was last seen wearing black trousers, a long-sleeved purple jumper or fleece top, black scarf and white trainers.

She has lived in Edinburgh for the past two years and went travelling around Guatemala last year.

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Her mum said she has suffered with depression for around eight years.

“She has been tying to cope,” Mrs Harper-Gow said. “But she wasn’t able to manage it.”

Ms Harper-Gow, who has three siblings, has not been in contact with family or friends since going missing and police said they were keen to establish her whereabouts “as soon as possible”.

A police spokesperson said: “We are keen to establish Leonora’s whereabouts as soon as possible and anyone who believes they have seen her since Saturday is asked to come forward. “In addition, we would ask Leonora to get in touch with friends, family or police and let us know you are safe and well.”

Any information should be reported to Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference 1240 of Sunday, June 17.

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