Anderson pupil Craig named Scottish student of the year

An Anderson High pupil has been named as the top school student in Scotland this year.

Craig Nicolson, from Lerwick, collected the Pride O’Worth tilte at the Star Awards in Glasgow on Friday night.

He also took home the school candidate of the year award seeing off competition from pupils from Glasgow, Bellshill and Uddingston.

Craig, 18, passed a Scottish Baccalaureate in science with distinction in his sixth and final year at the Anderson, which ended in June, and is now studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh. His parents Yvonne, a senior nurse, and John, who works for BP at Sullom Voe, live at Upper Sound. The awards also recognised his volunteering at Gilbert Bain Hospital.

He  said: “I was completely stunned. I did not think I would win. I just thought it was great to have been shortlisted, that was a big achievement in itself.

“I was in a state of shock for the rest of the night. I can remember talking to lots of people and everybody congratulating me but I can’t remember what I said.”

Craig was nominated by Anderson High principal chemistry teacher Marion Yeaman, who attended the ceremony, hosted by television presenter Kaye Adams at Anniesland College.

She said: “I just think Craig is outstanding, but he does things with a quiet humility. He not only has the academic side but very much gets the people side of things.”

Craig received his Pride O’Worth award from Dr Janet Brown, chief executive of the country’s exam board SQA, which organised the event.

A video was shown in which Mrs Yeaman, Claire Reid, AHS principal biology teacher and Morag Douglas, senior charge nurse on Ward 1 at the Gilbert Bain, spoke about Craig and his achievements.