A GP from Northern Ireland who died while paddle boarding in Scotland will be remembered for her devotion to patients, colleagues have said.
Dr Julia Hamilton, who was 57 and worked as a GP in Perth, died last Friday in an incident at the River Spey, near the town of Aviemore in the Cairngorms region of the Scottish Highlands.
Originally from Lurgan and a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, the mother-of-two got into trouble while paddle boarding on Scotland’s fastest flowing river.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said emergency services were alerted shortly before noon on Friday, but Dr Hamilton died at the scene.
“There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and inquiries are ongoing,” the spokesperson added.
Among those to pay their respects following the tragedy was Scottish first minister John Swinney.
“I am terribly sorry to read this news and extend my sympathy to the family, colleagues and patients of Dr Hamilton,” he said.
The keen outdoorswoman was a GP at Whitefriars Surgery in Perth.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Dr Hamilton was an outdoor enthusiast and her family have derived great comfort that she passed away doing something she loved in a place that was very special to her.
“Dr Hamilton had been a Partner in the Practice since 1994 and was a well-loved colleague and friend who was devoted to the care of our patients.”
The practise has opened a book of condolence for Dr Hamilton.
