The best friend of an Inverness woman who has been missing for 30 years has spoken of her desire for police to take a fresh look at the case “before it’s too late”.
Heather Thomson was 27 when she disappeared from Craig Dunain Hospital on January 19 1994 and has not been seen since.
But despite public appeals from family, police and missing persons charities, Heather’s whereabouts remain a mystery to this day.
Both of Heather’s parents, Henry and Kenina, sadly passed away without ever learning what had happened to their daughter.
Speaking to the Press and Journal in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the disappearance, Shona Macleod remembers her good friend and asks anyone who can help find answers to come forward.
Shona and Heather met as children at Inverness’ Hilton Primary School and over the years developed a close friendship that would last into adulthood.
“We weren’t the best of friends to begin with but somehow we ended up the best of friends,” Shona remembers.
Shone said the pair enjoyed the typical pursuits that Inverness offered children of their age, such as going to the ice rink, and they would, occasionally, get up to a little mischief along the way.
“Her mum used to think it was me who led Heather astray, but Heather had a lot more balls than I did,” the 57-year-old reminisced, adding: “I would go along with it though. She wasn’t a bad girl.”
As teenagers, Shona said, she and Heather would take the ferry over to the Black Isle where they might get a drink in a bar before heading home sucking on sweets to disguise their daring.
“We would get the ferry back and we would get aniseed balls so our parents wouldn’t smell the alcohol on our breath,” she said.
But their shared exploits were interrupted when Heather moved to London to pursue the possibility of a nannying career and then to Edinburgh during a short-lived, and ultimately unsuccessful, marriage.
However, the pair stayed in touch and picked up their friendship when Heather eventually returned to Inverness.
Even though Shona had moved to Nairn, the young friends kept in contact, with Heather visiting her friend’s new home for days at a time.
“I had a very social house,” Shona explained. “People were always popping in and we would quite often have a party.”
‘Heather was full of life’
She said: “Heather was full of life, she liked going out and partying and having a good time and all the rest of it, like most of us did at that time.”
But Heather, Shona explains, was also struggling with her mental health, which would eventually lead to spells in Craig Dunain Hospital.
Despite this, Shona says Heather who “loved children” was “absolutely delighted” when she learned she was expecting a child with her then-partner.
“That was another thing that didn’t make sense because when she left, she left behind her boy,” Shona said. “It makes no sense, her being a mum and walking away from her child.”
Shona suspects Heather could have been suffering from “the baby blues” when she was admitted to Craig Dunain before her disappearance, but remains unconvinced that the new mum could have chosen to take her own life.
She speaks of a previous occasion when Heather had left the hospital and sent a postcard from a remote west coast location, letting Shona know she was okay and was with her partner.
“She sent me a card just letting me know that she was okay and all the rest of it because nobody knew where she was.”
But the next time Heather left treatment, just a few months after the birth of her son, Christopher, Shona did not receive a card.
‘She always got in touch with me’
“She never got in contact with me – she always, always got in touch with me,” Shona said, adding: “Personally, I think something has happened to her.”
She says: “I would love to see police reopen the investigation before it is too late.”
But the loyal friend lives in the hope that she will be proved wrong, and keeps a photograph of Heather, taken on her 18th birthday, on the mantlepiece in her home.
Heather, who was described at the time as being around 5ft 4in tall, of medium build with long dark brown hair, would now be aged 57.
“I think about her, every single day,” says Shona, adding she finds it “heartbreaking” to have been without her friend for so long.
Voice cracking with emotion, Shona, who now lives on Skye, says: “I’m still here if she wants to get in touch with me – I would welcome her back with open arms.”
Detective Chief Inspector Craig Still told the Press and Journal: “January 2024 marks 30 years since Heather Thomson was last seen in Inverness. Over this passage of time enquiries have been conducted in efforts to trace her and she remains a missing person.
“As with all long-term missing people, the case is kept under review and any new information or lines of enquiry reported to police will be thoroughly investigated. Each investigation remains open until we have an understanding of what has happened, no matter how long that may be.
“Anyone with information should report it to Police Scotland via 101.”
The Press and Journal was unable to reach any members of Heather’s family for comment at the time of writing.
