Colleagues have come together to celebrate the life of Inverness firefighter Craig Christie.

The 53-year-old died in his home on October 4 after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.

He passed away just months after he tied the knot with long-term partner Caren in a ceremony at Raigmore Hospital.

Last month, Craig’s wife Caren paid a heart-warming tribute to her husband in the Press and Journal.

She said: ““He never ceased to make me smile, even after a terminal diagnosis.

“He was so proud of what he did. It’s just heart-breaking to have lost him.”

Firefighting career spanned Aberdeenshire, Highlands and Moray

The much-respected firefighter joined Grampian Fire Brigade as an on-call firefighter in 1995 and went on to join wholetime in 2001.

He served in Aberdeen, Elgin and Inverness fire stations as well as working in training throughout Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland areas.

Craig then moved to community safety engagement in 2024.

He was also an avid footballer and was a defender for Nairn County in his younger years.

Wedding with Haribo rings at Raigmore Hospital

Karla Stevenson, who works in community safety engagement, took on the role of a family liaison officer to support Craig.

She arranged Craig and his long-term partner Caren’s wedding within 24 hours, which took place on July 7 at Raigmore Hospital.

The wedding was attended by Amber Watch from Inverness Community Fire Station as well as local officers.

Karla managed to arrange details such as flowers, a cake and a photographer for the wedding at short notice.

However, due to the wedding being arranged so quickly, the couple did not have wedding rings and instead improvised with Haribo rings.

Colleagues pay tribute to ‘much-respected’ firefighter

Karla said it was ‘an honour’ to help her colleague Craig and his family in the most difficult of times.

She said: “Craig and Caren were so happy on their wedding day.

“It was a privilege to be a part of this very special memory.

“Craig was a much-respected firefighter who was dedicated and committed to helping others. He will be very sadly missed by us all.”

In September, Craig and Caren attended a ceremony to see Karla presented with an SFRS Chief Officer Commendation for her compassionate support.

Craig Christie’s funeral took place at W G Catto Funeral Home in Elgin on October 14 where his colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service lined up as a guard of honour.