An 11-year-old boy from Caithness has died suddenly on New Year's Day, prompting an outpouring of grief from his family and local community. Mason Neal, from Staxigoe near Wick, was rushed to Caithness General Hospital after becoming unwell on January 1 but sadly passed away later that day.
His mother Lucy paid tribute to her 'loving, caring, bright, cheeky handsome little man' in a heartfelt social media post. She wrote: 'Reality hasn't sunk in yet. To say I'm devastated, heartbroken and utterly destroyed doesn't even come close to how I, how we are feeling. On the 1st of January 2026, we said goodbye to our boy, my Mason, as he closed his eyes for the last time.' She added: '4,322 days with you will never be enough, my Mason - I want you back, we want you back! Love you more. Forever 11.'
The local community has rallied around the family, with an online fundraiser surpassing £11,000 to support Lucy and Mason's older sister Phoebe. A statement on the GoFundMe page said: 'A small group of us in the Staxigoe community would like to raise money to support a grieving, local family.'
Police Scotland confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mason's death. A statement said: 'Around 11.10am on Thursday, 1 January 2026, police were called to report that a young boy had taken unwell in Staxigoe...He was taken by ambulance to Caithness General Hospital where he died later in the day. His family is aware. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.'
