“We are incredibly proud that Christopher chose to come to our University and are honoured to consider him as one of our students. I am sure he will be greatly missed by his friends and teachers in the School of Law. We would normally fly the University flag at half-mast as a mark of respect, but as all our buildings are currently on lockdown this cannot happen at the moment. However, we intend to mark the passing of all students and staff who we lose during this period of shutdown once we have re- opened the campus. Such a talented young man and someone that Edinburgh University is proud to call one of her own.”

“Chris is fondly remembered here at Robinson College as a fine scholar and remarkable linguist, a fearsome captain of rugby, a loyal member of the College and a regular attender at the Robinson Edinburgh reunions. News of his passing has come as a great shock to those who knew him here in Cambridge. The College sends its very deepest condolences to Chris’s  family.”

As Christopher’s Director of Studies throughout his time at Robinson College, Cambridge, I found him to be a polite, engaging, interested and dynamic student of Oriental Studies. When the University decided to discontinue the study of Indian languages halfway through his course, Christopher decided to combine Hindi with Chinese and did his best in the very difficult circumstances he was faced with. I was delighted that he managed to pull it off. Christopher was unique, the only person in the UK ever to get a degree in Hindi and Chinese. Christopher had perseverance and determination, and considerable persuasive powers. He was, in short, a character, and his talents and gifts will be much missed by the many people who knew him. I am so sad that his life has been cut cruelly short.

“Chris was in many ways my apotheosis: a hairy, Scottish, rugby-playing jock (literally) who was cultured and skilled in languages. We both began Cambridge thinking we were destined to be a real-life Bond, Chris less secretly. If mine was a pathetic attempt at danger in the form of an unconvincing and disappointing Timothy Dalton, Chris’s was a brooding, rugged, captivating Connery. He had much that I didn't - and he’d have been delighted with that as a tribute, I’m sure.

My fond memories of the everyday Landy at Robinson centre around: regularly meeting him in the early hours of the morning - when we both had essays due or when he was just having a potter around at 2am as he was prone to do; the excellent rugby tour to Edinburgh he organised and championed; living at Romsey a few doors down from him, and marveling at his ability to always be a little later or a little more lost than me (but just a little less than TJ); and finally his magical ability to turn up in nearly every photo I took. Such was his famous charm!

I’m grateful for the time I spent with him. He was brilliant company. I remember Chris as hilarious, deeply fascinating, proud, insightful and always interested in others. Chris was a sensitive and caring gentleman. Every message I had from him in recent years saw him ask after Isabella, my daughter, which I really appreciated.

It is cruel that the world is deprived of such a good man. I wish I could say more - and he certainly deserves it - but this is even harder to process than I had realised. Landy, you’ll be much missed but not forgotten.”

“Chris was an intelligent, engaging and passionate man who made an impression on all he met and he has left us far too soon. Robinson and the years following on from there were probably the happiest of my life and Chris contributed so greatly to that.

To me, and to most who knew him, he will always be ‘Landy’ (said in a Connery-esque Bond accent). I’m not sure I’ve ever called him anything else. It suited him well and he always played up to the Scottish inflection, and the Bond connection. He was such a supporter of staying in the UK and his commitment and passion, for this and other causes he held close to his heart, defined him. The fact that 007 read Oriental Studies at Cambridge was no less important to him! We used to tease him for taking himself too seriously at times (he infamously voted for himself as having the best body in Robinson!), but this confidence drove him to achieve such impressive things in his life.

I can’t think of a defining moment when I met Landy, but our Robinson journey took in so many joint experiences that it’s not hard to see why we became close. Whether it was in the canteen, the bar, the rugby pitch or the library, our schedules were fairly in sync.

It was probably in 2nd year that we became closest whilst ‘living out’ together in Romsey Terrace. This year will live long in the memory of all 25 of us who stayed there for the amazing array of memories. He may not have been the best cook or tidiest flatmate, but that wasn’t important back then! What was more important were the endless hours together playing cricket in the garden, playing on the Nintendo 64, pulling pranks on each other and then heading out for a drink before repeating again.

We shared many drinks together, as well as many serious political discussions and many more moves shared on the dance floor. His crab dance move is legendary and together we upset many bouncers with our rolling back-flip. He enjoyed coming across as mature and insightful (which he was) but could never resist letting down his hair, of which there was a lot!

When I picture Landy at his happiest, he is in his rugby kit. He was a committed captain and teammate. He put all he had into every training session and match and for that reason he was involved with the Blues and was made Robinson captain. His season as captain set the foundations for a previously ‘social’ club to become what is now a high-achieving part of the college. His team talks always channelled the Braveheart spirit and, despite us being on par with the Scottish national team in terms of results, not a single player gave less than 100% for him. His greatest achievement with the team, however, is probably the tour to Edinburgh. His passion for Edinburgh and for rugby were evident as he organised what I can honestly say is one of the best weekends I’ve had. The team photo he vehemently fought to have in the college bar, as well as the tour shirt I still wear today, will always remind me of him.

I am so saddened to have to put these words down. However, looking back through the many hours/weeks/years we spent together will always make me smile. You should be so proud to have had him as a son and brother.”

“We did Oriental Studies together and became fast friends early on through the Robinson gang. He wavered between serious political debate and drunken ridiculousness, as any semi-studious Scottish student should. Chris was immensely smart, far better politically educated than all of us put together and genuinely thoughtful - I think that for me was what set him apart. As I age, I realise that even great people can struggle to think beyond the ends of their noses, but Chris was always the first to make a huge effort to get on with my girlfriend, help my mum out with the cooking or entertain my dad.

I came up for a fun Fringe weekend in Edinburgh once and I distinctly remember a long, beautiful walk in the Pentland hills behind your house, where he talked me into making some sea change life decisions that pushed me to where I am today.

I was recently reminded of him by an encounter with a stranger who'd mentioned this accomplished, brash Mandarin-Hindi speaking Scot and I said, 'Aha, there is but only one Christopher Land!' So he obviously made impressions not just on me but on many elsewhere too.

He was a dear friend who I was very close to and I will miss him dearly. I'm thankful for a good few memories of mischief to remember him by.”

“Chris was such a friendly, intelligent and well principled young man. He was a loved and cherished part of our friendship group. We always called him ‘Landy’, so that’s how I’ll refer to him.

I have to start with rugby, a sport that he loved so much. We teased Landy that he dropped the ball too often, but he was a really good player, a hard-tackling and tenacious centre, endlessly energetic and a strong leader who excelled at all aspects of captaining Robinson’s rugby team. He was a humorous and ever-present fixture on team social outings and fostered a strong team spirit off the pitch. His organisation of the Robinson rugby tour to Edinburgh was perhaps his crowning glory! An incredible weekend; a mad blur of rugby, beer and laughter all brought together in Landy’s home city.

I really admire that he genuinely cared about the positive impact that rugby can have in life. This is evident in all his amazing work to create a cross-parliamentary rugby team more recently, but I first saw this back at university. He was appalled that the Robinson college bar didn’t have a rugby team photo on the wall and he successfully organised one (not an easy feat with 20 plus lazy uni students) and battled with the bar staff for months to get it put up. When I go back for old boys rugby weekends, it’s still there on the wall, hanging proudly. It reminds me of some of my happiest times at university and now it will always make me think of Landy.

We lived together in Year 2 at Romsey with Ben, Ed and Boz. I’m still not aware of a retailer that was able to create an alarm that was loud enough to wake Landy up, and I also recall him making us a spaghetti bolognese where he achieved the impossible ... the bolognese managed to be both burnt and yet also still frozen at the same time. That aside, he was a really great housemate. The 2nd year always stands out to me as when we had the most fun and he was such an integral part of that, an ever friendly face who was always there to chat to.

Throughout the madness at Romsey, he knuckled down, worked hard and achieved incredible things academically. He really was such an intelligent person. It's quite a skill to be able to master Chinese and Hindi: I remember him showing me the basic letters of the alphabet, and that was enough for me to give up. He loved pointing out, especially when he was wearing black tie, “Did you know that James Bond also studied Oriental Languages at Cambridge?”

He was a good dancer, though he used the ‘crab dance’ too often in nightclubs! He was incredibly hairy, but I must admit quite handsome. He loved Scotland, but also loved Great Britain and fought passionately for the Union. He was principled, quirky, funny and, most of all, he was a really great friend. We’ll miss him greatly.

Rest in peace, my friend Landy.”

“The four years I spent at Robinson were the most formative of my life and Landy was so often at the centre of my favourite memories, always there to provide a smile. He was able to be the silliest person in the room, but also the most mature and thoughtful. He was a voice of reason and the source of sage advice, but he was also the life and soul of the party, especially when it came to the post-rugby match pub trip.

His 25 different alarm clocks often still managed to fail to wake him up, but luckily my room was never next door to his. One of my favourite memories (though perhaps not Chris’) was a round of pranks while we were living in the house in Romsey. Having moved Gordy’s possessions into the garden and turned my room literally upside down, everyone else had taken to keeping their rooms firmly locked. One Saturday, Chris went out to play rugby forgetting to lock his door. When he returned we’d managed to cover every surface and item in his room in tin foil… he took it with his usual great humour, and I think he remembered to lock his room after that.

I only started playing rugby when I got to university but Chris was always patient and supportive, offering me tips even if I usually failed to take them on board. Watching him play for the University, it was clear how proud he was. I know Robinson and Cambridge, held a special place in his heart, as did Edinburgh. When it was Chris’ job to organise rugby a tour, it was no surprise that we all headed up north. We all had an amazing time and that was due to all the hard work and planning that Chris had put in. He really was a great person to go out and have a beer with.”

“Chris and I met on his first day at Robinson, clicked straight away and were together (on and off) for most of the next three years. I was drawn to his intelligence, his stories of travels he'd done and hoped to do, and his ability to talk convincingly about anything under the sun. His love of drawing parallels between himself and James Bond (who also read oriental studies at Cambridge, don't you know?!) always made me smile. His soft Scottish accent and good looks were a bonus.

During term times we both embraced the 'work hard, play hard' lifestyle. Chris threw himself into Robinson life, getting stuck into everything from rugby, to the college production of Grease, and making a great group of friends along the way. Between terms, Chris showed me the best bits of Edinburgh (including Hogmanay and the Fringe), and I took him on more than a few hilly Cheshire walks. Of all the trips we did, I'll always remember the two weeks we spent traveling by train around northern Italy as some of the happiest time we spent together.

We went our separate ways after I graduated, and drifted apart over the years. But I'll never be able to think of my university days without thinking of Chris. He will always hold a special place in my heart and it's truly tragic that he's no longer with us.”

“I went to Robinson with Chris - or ‘Landy’ to all of us - for all four years, and had the pleasure of being able to call him a friend. Chris was most definitely one of "the boys". We drank together, partied together, broke into May balls together, lived in the terraced houses at Romsey together, carried out pranks together, played sport together and hung out together. I have many good memories from that time - as do all from our group of friends - which Chris played a part in and helped to create. And for that I'm very thankful.

When I recall that time at university, I think back fondly on all of Chris' quirks. Whether it was how messy his room was, how he repeatedly told us that he and James Bond were in fact very similar, or his desperate need for sleep; I remember one occasion, on being told he had 20 minutes before we were leaving for a night out, he replied with, "Okay, I'm just going to head upstairs for a quick nap then." Not only did they entertain all of us, both at the time and with each re-telling of a story, but they were part of the character that we all loved.

One thing I really valued in Chris at that time (when most of us were preoccupied with drinking, joking, playing sport or studying) was that he showed a great deal of sincerity. He was incredibly genuine when debating more serious topics or talking about how we felt about things. It was clear that he was heavily principled and wouldn't be swayed from those principles; I remember how vehemently he argued that there was honour in serving in the army, something that doesn't exist in many other professions. That was one conversation, but to me that really summed up how he held himself to a higher integrity, something which clearly served him well beyond his university years.

I'll share one more memory with you, which is surprisingly one of the most vivid when I think of Chris at university. We were playing in a college rugby match and he either broke or dislocated his finger in a tackle. I remember clearly how it was sticking out at an odd angle, and as he left the pitch to head to the hospital, rather than being concerned with the state of his finger, he was instead barking directions and words of encouragement to the rest of the team. I don't recall how that match turned out but I do remember thinking how much he cared about his team.

Chris had such a positive impact on many of our lives and will be sorely, sorely missed.”

“Chris and I first met at Robinson college Cambridge. His surname was next to mine in the alphabet, so we were lined up next to each other for the matriculation photo. We formed a strong friendship almost immediately, and spent much of the first term of university together.

My strongest memories of Chris are generally rugby related. His incredibly hairy chest on show in the changing room, his rousing team talks as College Captain in our third year, the superb tour to Edinburgh he organised between second and third year, and his genuine passion and desire to turn me (and the rest of the team) into the superb rugby players he was sure we were capable of growing into. I never reached those levels, but it was through no fault of his!

Between the first and second year a group of us, Chris included, travelled around Eastern Europe on an interrail ticket. We flew to Prague and started a three week trip that also took in Krakow, Bratislava and Budapest. We had a blast! Cheap beer, sight-seeing, castles, lost wallets (Chris of course), and many ridiculous stories, including an unfortunate evening when Chris's bag was stolen from under his nose. We chased down a scruffy looking chap with Chris’ bag and started our interrogations. After a bit of shouting, he accidentally pulled Chris's phone out of his inside pocket. When Chris saw the wallpaper on the phone, he immediately yelled "That's my girlfriend!", which became somewhat of a catchphrase for Chris from that day on.

During the second year at Robinson 25 of us (Chris included) moved out of the main college into 5 terraced houses on the other side of Cambridge. A great memory from our year in Romsey Terrace was the pranks we used to play. One day Chris left his room door open whilst he was at lectures, and unfortunately for him some others had spare time that day. They decided to wrap aluminium foil around everything in his room. Literally everything - his paired socks were wrapped in tin foil within his bedside table drawers - that were also wrapped in foil. When he returned, his initial anger quickly subsided and he gracefully posed for some photos in his new space-age room, before starting the work of returning it to its previous state.

During the years we were at Cambridge and for several after, Chris was a great friend that I spent many, many hours with. He was intelligent, committed, funny, polite, charming and ambitious. It seems he spent his entire life aiming for incredibly lofty goals. The world has lost a fantastic person, and I feel lucky to have been able to call him a friend.”

“I was at Robinson with Chris and I look back on that time with immense fondness, tinged now with the sadness that a part of those memories is no longer with us.

Landy (as he was universally known) was a real college celebrity. Captain of the rugby team, ever-present in the bar, always warm and welcoming to all and sundry (especially if he thought he might be able to convince you to scrum down in the second row in the upcoming cuppers game), ready to engage you in debate or have you buy him a drink (he was a proud Scotsman, after all).

One rugby memory that sticks in the mind is a cup encounter with a team 2 divisions above us. Chris had managed to convince some of the other university players to turn out for the college and we ended up fielding a very strong team that included a future Scotland international (sadly not Chris, despite his best efforts). We ran into an early lead but were starting to flag. As the opposition scored again and it looked like the game might be ebbing away from us, Landy gathered us in. He stood quietly for a second to catch his breath before launching into a heartfelt, furious, ardent speech, dramatically illustrated by extravagant gestures. Unbeknownst to Chris, his accent had been rendered completely incomprehensible by adrenaline, passion and an Edinburgh education. Luckily the message somehow leaked into our brains and incredibly, against all the odds, we went on to win. If cups were won solely on the heart and belief of our talisman we would've been crowned champions there and then... As it was, we were soundly beaten in the next round.

Landy had the rare gift of being able to combine earnestness and charm. If I picture him now, it's with a smile on his face, probably in black tie, ready to throw an arm around your shoulder and pick up where we left off. It saddens me greatly that this will never happen. A real light. A tragic loss.”

“I don’t have a first memory of Chris, because I remember him as just always being there. From family walks on just the most dreich days on the Pentlands to the numerous parties where us awkward teenagers would gather in the sitting room or kitchen of whoever’s turn it was to host in their Morningside home, pretending to be far cooler than we were.

We found ourselves next door neighbours at Cambridge, and not only that - faculty mates as well in the dingy corridors of the crusty wonder that was the Faculty of Oriental Studies. I’ll remember Chris in the library where often we’d bump into each other and destress with a chat; on the stairs where he would be a reminder of home for me and we’d have a quick chat between classes. And of course at those sticky cringe Cambridge club nights with the Robinson and Newnham crews.

I’ll remember him on the day we celebrated our last exams - we ended up singing karaoke into the night with the Chinese and Arabic cohorts of our year from Oriental Studies. And I’ll remember him on the day of our graduation when we all had dinner on the banks of the Cam in the gorgeous evening sunshine, having done the Senate House thing on the same day.

Invariably when we were at Cambridge, he would tell me not to bother with a language like French and to do something more future-forward like Hindi or Chinese, along with Arabic. He was, unsurprisingly, right about that. But of course when he found out I was moving to India, he had nothing but excellent advice and threw in a few good Hindi phrases for me to know.

I was so impressed with his Better Together campaign role and he was so passionate about his work there that I easily supported with my own ‘virtual’ rock addition for the cairn from Mumbai when he asked me to.

I’ll remember laughing with him at Edinburgh Christmas drinks, walking with him around the reservoir chatting about our various paths and how they still crossed now and again, and then last at my wedding brunch, easily catching up with a few of our mutual friends and sharing in the joy of the day. I will miss him.”

“I knew Chris well at university (Landy to me), where he was a good friend to many of us, always a fun presence around college, and fully committed to university life. I think back to our nights out, formal swaps, long cafeteria lunches (with fiery social or political discourse), cooking mishaps, life at Romsey, playing pranks, playing Mario Kart, nerves getting to know each other and pride at graduation. My wife, who visited regularly, remembers him as being a caring voice in a testosterone fueled group. You could never doubt his commitment to what he believed in; and sometimes it seemed he had the bigger issues of the day on his mind, rather than something trivial like being on time or keeping a closer eye on his belongings!”

“I have a lot of fond memories of Chris, living next door to him in first year at Robinson then moving out to Romsey Terrace where we probably played too much Nintendo and sport in the back garden when we should have been working. We had an incredibly memorable trip around Eastern Europe together as a group and Chris was one of the few people who stuck around Robinson for a 4th year, so we graduated together in 2009. It's devastating to me that his life has been cut so short, he had a huge talent and a positive impact on the world.”

“Chris was an absolute sweetheart and a truly great friend to me. We formed a tight knit crew of friends early on in the first year, and I loved living with him in my second year of university. Lots of time spent larking around the college grounds, late-night water fights, playing pool in the college bar. I didn’t play rugby like a lot of the lads, but Landy and I spent a lot of time outside chatting together. I always felt very relaxed in his presence. He was sensitive, thoughtful and interested, always asking lots of questions rather than talking about himself too much. He cared how people were, and I think that made us all feel very safe.

Second year was a riot - 25 of us moved to Romsey Terrace and I had the pleasure of living with Landy in one of the houses. We were a typical bunch of lads, always playing pranks on each other and getting up to mischief. I’d gotten quite keen on photography by then so I’ve got a lot of it on camera, and going through the photos it’s clear as day how much fun he was having. Always had a big beaming smile on his face and a glint in his eye. Those were some of the most fun days of my life and he features heavily in all of them.

I had a massive soft spot for Landy and it hurts to know that he’s gone. He was kind, sensitive, and just a lot of fun to be around. I'm going to miss him sorely.”

“Chris was such a charming, gentlemanly, kind, charismatic, warm, fun, friendly person. I was at Robinson and have so many great memories of Chris, from playing rugby with him, to going on nights out in Cambridge, to coming up to Edinburgh on rugby tour. I remember the Land family inviting the entire rugby team around to your house and thinking at the time that you were such a nice family - kind, hospitable and generous - just like Chris.”

“Chris was such a charming, gentlemanly, kind, charismatic, warm, fun, friendly person. I was at Robinson and have so many great memories of Chris, from playing rugby with him, to going on nights out in Cambridge, to coming up to Edinburgh on rugby tour. I remember the Land family inviting the entire rugby team around to your house and thinking at the time that you were such a nice family - kind, hospitable and generous - just like Chris.”

“Chris and I seem to always be crossing paths – at South Morningside Primary School, at house parties as teenagers, at Robinson College. As I walked into Robinson at the start of university, Chris was one of the first people I saw. Having had no idea he was going to Cambridge, let alone Robinson College, this came as a huge surprise. I am so appreciative to Chris for providing a piece of home while at Cambridge. I will remember him as ridiculously clever and entertaining.”