On his penultimate day in office, Scotland¡¯s First Minister unveiled the commemorative stone at Heriot-Watt University inscribed with his March 2011 statement on university costs: ¡°The rocks will melt with the sun before I allow tuition fees to be imposed on Scottish students.¡±

Weighing nearly a tonne, the stone was carved and designed by stonemasonry apprentices at Historic Scotland¡¯s National Conservation Centre in Elgin.

Mr Salmond, who is standing down after seven and a half years in office, described the abolition of tuition fees as his government¡¯s ¡°single biggest achievement¡±.

¡°It is without doubt now a commitment writ in stane,¡± said Mr Salmond, who added that it was ¡°fitting and humbling¡± to have the ¡°wonderful¡± monument created by apprentices.

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But Liz Smith, the Scottish Conservatives¡¯ young people spokeswoman, claimed that free tuition had ¡°done nothing to widen access¡± and instead placed pressure on universities to recruit fee-paying students from elsewhere, ¡°freezing out¡± Scottish learners.

¡°That¡¯s hardly a legacy worth celebrating,¡± said Ms Smith.

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Apprentices Gregor Alcorn and Ross Kennedy spent four days carving the stone and another two colouring the lettering.

Steve Chapman, Heriot-Watt¡¯s principal, said: ¡°We are delighted to host this stone, a beautifully crafted piece and a monument to Alex Salmond¡¯s tenure as First Minister and his strongly held commitment to access to education for Scottish students.¡± ?

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com